Coimbatore: A welfare initiative launched to support police personnel and their families facing stress and related issues has reportedly become inactive due to lack of funding.
The ‘Happiness’ programme, initiated in Chennai in November 2021 with support from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), was later expanded to other districts. In the 2025-26 budget session, the government announced further expansion to districts including Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruppur.
Following this, a government order reportedly earmarked Rs 30.75 lakh for the western zone. However, the amount has not been fully released so far, and a fresh government order for 2026-27 has not yet been issued, leading to the programme remaining stalled.
Police personnel work under high-pressure conditions, and some are said to slip into habits such as alcohol use and online gambling, triggering financial strain and family disputes. Police statistics cited in the report indicate that, on average, around 40 police personnel die by suicide each year; 18 suicides have been reported so far this year.
According to NIMHANS research cited in the report, the government had earlier been informed that 2,816 police personnel in western-zone districts including Coimbatore require mental health counselling. A senior police officer said about 4,000 personnel have benefited so far, but the programme cannot be continued due to a funding crunch, despite the matter being raised with higher authorities.
