Claims of the State police about measures taken to modernise the police force rang hollow when Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was informed by policemen on duty at Dilaram Chowk on Sunday night that they did not have alcometers to check drunk driving in the State Capital.
Critics opined that accidents are on the rise, notwithstanding the official claims of initiatives being taken to control things. “Drunk driving accounts for a big share of such mishaps in various parts of the State. Police are deployed at crossings, but they are not rightly equipped to deal with delinquency.
Crores are coming from the Centre for police modernisation. These are being ill-used,” an observer said.
Police department receive funds from the Government to purchase weapons and to arrange policemen’s training. But due to lack of training, the armed policemen choose to remain idle or to scurry for safety behind bushes when things happen to test their preparedness. Incidents happening at regular intervals tell the same story of police taking to their heels when confronted with determined challengers on the ground.
Police Headquarters report revealed that around 1210 road accidents were reported where 753 persons died and 1355 were seriously injured from January 1 to November 15, 2014 in various parts of the State. 270 road accidents were reported from Dehradun district alone where 130 persons died and 248 were seriously injured last year.
Driving in an inebriated state has become an anathema for the people. Unless it is reined in effectively accidents would continue taking toll of lives, said the State watchers.
However, senior police officers told the media persons on several occasions that policemen equipped with alcometres are deployed at various crossings to check on drunken drive, rush driving, but on the ground the reality was different, as was observed by the CM Rawat at Dilaram Chowk. “Perhaps, the top police brass has no idea of how things are on the ground,” said one of the observers.