The police don’t have enough funds. The gym receives very little government aid as it does not have the sanction of the police administration, unlike the one at the police headquarters at Crawford Market.

“We receive a mere Rs 1,200 per month from the Police Gymkhana to maintain the gym. The equipment is state-of-the-art and we need to buy more, which we cannot with this paltry sum,” said Pradeep Suryavanshi, senior police inspector at Andheri.

A constable added, “We have to be careful even while using electricity because we cannot afford huge bills. The government pays the electricity bills of the police station, not of the gym though it is right on the premises.”

Suryavanshi said he had to shell out Rs 4, 200 from his pocket for the electricity connection. “Without that, there would have been no electricity supply at all.”

Another official said, “The police department is always stressing the need for physical fitness and yet ignores the gym. Had the gym been recognised, we could have got money from the Police Welfare Fund.”

DCP Vijaysingh Jadhav (HQ) said, “There are provisions for maintenance of such gymnasiums from the Police Welfare Fund. However, for that, the respective police station has to make an application and the claim has to be verified before any payment is disbursed. My office has not received any such application from Andheri so far.”