It is good news for the Uttarakhand City Patrol Unit that keeps on drawing flak for its alleged excesses in slapping penalties on the errant commuters and applause for its success in bringing discipline on the roads of the cities it is operational, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has decided to bestow on the unit the smart police award in recognition of its appreciable work on road safety and traffic management on May 25, 2017.
CPU was formed in Dehradun in April, 2014 at the behest of then State police chief BS Siddu. The unit was extended later to Haridwar, Rudrapur, Roorkee and Haldwani as the works of the unit in stopping traffic rule violations won accolades from some quarters.
It is learnt that the State CPU nodal officer/SP headquarters Nivedita Kukreti would receive the felicitation on behalf of the unit. The award amounts to national level recognition of the works being done by CPU in the state, said a senior police officer. Earlier, Kukreti had said that around 197 police personnel from PAC and civil police had been inducted in CPU, now operating at five places- Haridwar, Haldwani, Dehradun, Roorkee and Rudrapur. Currently four inspectors, 83 sub-inspectors and 110 constables were working for the five of its units across the state, she had further informed.
As per press note address, Jury members of FICCI have selected CPU for the smart police award among the units working under various state police and central armed police forces.
Notably, CPU was conceived as a force which would strictly enforce the traffic rules on the roads while stopping reckless and drunk driving and forcing the riders of the two-wheelers to wear the helmets. Besides, the unit is tasked to stop illegal mining and sale of illicit liquor in areas they are deployed in.