Kerala police's new uniform garment fails BIS test

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Police’s move to supply khaki clothes of same shade to its personnel as part of the proposed uniform dress code across ranks has run into rough weather with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) cautioning against the poor quality of the clothing material procured by the department.

The BIS, working under the aegis of the Central Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in its report said that the garment did not conform to the quality standards specified by the agency. The material was not suited for Kerala’s warm tropical climate as the fabric could stimulate increased sweating, the report pointed out.

The 11-crore project had earlier run into a controversy following allegations of corruption in the procurement of uniform fabric from a single firm.

The Textiles Committee, under the Union Ministry of Textiles, has forwarded the BIS report to the state police authorities.

When samples of the cotton-polyester blend fabrics were tested at the government-run Kerala Textile Corporation (KTC), it was found that the clothing material contained 79 per cent polyester and 21 per cent cotton. Although the KTC was supposed to conduct conformity assessment on as many as nineteen mandatory standards including the blend ratio, tests were conducted on seven quality aspects only.

An order directing to distribute the same cloth through police canteens was issued thereafter. The allegations of corruption surfaced after it was found that only one company manufactures fabrics conforming to the aforementioned specifications. 

As per the standards specified by the BIS, the 67:33 is the best ratio for a blend for garments best suited for hot and humid weather conditions. Uniforms worn by personnel attached to the Indian Armed Force, Central Armed Police Forces, state police departments, conform to these specified standards. Also, a central government order clearly stipulates that forces are obliged to adhere to the standard specification of uniforms promulgated by the BIS. 

The Textiles Committee is the central nodal agency to check the quality of the uniform garments procured by the Indian Armed Force, various central police forces and a majority of state police departments. 

However, the Kerala police authorities had not approached the agency to conduct quality checks on the clothing material procured in accordance with the State Police Chief’s directive that all police personnel should wear the same shade of khaki.