Calcutta, Nov. 6: Three policemen received awards for commitment, 20 received medals of appreciation, 25 for service, but none for bravery.

The inaugural annual medal for bravery was mothballed after a two-month hunt for a braveheart in the 26,000-strong force drew a blank. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee gave away the awards for commitment, appreciation and service to 48 personnel at a function in the Police Training School.

?It was decided that five policemen would be selected in the category of bravery. We decided to felicitate them with a medal, certificate and cash prize of Rs 15,000. But no one was found suitable for this award,? said a senior official during the awards ceremony.

A committee of four additional commissioners of police and a home department representative, headed by commissioner Sujoy Chakraborty, was formed to pick the winners.

According to officials, service record was key to selection. ?Initially, the number of nominees were a few hundred. But during screening, we found most of them had adverse record. So their names were cancelled,? said a senior official.

The chief minister side-stepped the bravery blank and appreciated the city police for efficiency. ?When I was holding a meeting with industrialists in Delhi last month, they appreciated your style of working. Despite working with limited resources, I know you are capable enough to face any sort of trouble,? he said.