Kerala: Chief Minister's police medals marred by spelling errors; probe begins
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Nov 3, 2024, 9:40 AM ISTThe Kerala police department is under scrutiny after spelling errors were discovered on medals awarded to 264 individuals during the Kerala Police Foundation Day ceremony on November 1. An investigation has been launched to identify the errors occured.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Home Department faced embarrassment when significant errors were discovered in the inscriptions on the Chief Minister’s Police Medals, which were awarded by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the Kerala Police Foundation Day celebrations on Friday (Nov 01). This event coincided with both Kerala Piravi (State Formation Day) and Classical Language Day.
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The spelling errors on the medals, regarded as one of the highest honors for police personnel in the state, have brought significant embarrassment to the government, particularly as they were presented on Kerala Piravi Day. The mistakes came to light only when some recipients examined their medals. Officials reported that 264 individuals received the medals during a ceremony at SAP Ground in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, with errors identified on approximately half of the medals distributed.
An investigation has been launched into the medal errors with the Police Headquarters' DIG assigned to look into the matter. DGP Sheikh Darvesh Sahib has ordered IPS Sateesh Bino to probe the matter.
The medals with the spelling mistake were provided by the Bhagavathi Agency two years ago, and there are suspicions that the medals were reissued after being set aside when the errors were noticed. The quotation was provided to the Bhagavathi Agency on October 23, and the medals were delivered on October 29. Allegations have arisen that it is impossible to produce the medals in such a short time
The medals incorrectly featured "Mukhyamanthrayude" instead of "Mukhyamanthriyude" in Malayalam, and "polace medan" was used instead of "police medal."
In light of the controversy, the police headquarters has decided to recall the medals and replace them with new ones.
The medals were initially ordered to be printed by Bhagavathi Stores in Thiruvananthapuram. Although the awards were announced on August 15, the request for the printing quotation was only made on October 16, with the order placed on October 23. The medals were prepared and delivered to the police headquarters in just five days, raising several questions. Typically, it takes about a month to produce such a large number of medals, according to industry insiders. Due to the short timeframe, no other vendors came forward to obtain the quotation. Bhagavathi Stores, which regularly handles this work, does not have its own printing facility and outsources the production of the medals to other companies. Reports suggest that the medals were produced at an unusually fast pace.
There were no samples provided for inspection, leading to accusations of negligence against those responsible at the police headquarters. No one noticed the serious errors on the medals. The company that won the tender will be asked to supply new medals. Bhagavathi Stores has confirmed that they can provide the new medals. Subsequently, the distribution will be done through each unit.
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