The City Patrol Unit (CPU), which was formed by the State police department with fanfare last year to improve the traffic system in the city seemed to be sleeping over the menace of the city’s footpaths being encroached upon by persons for their personal ends. Such encroachment spree going on with impunity under the nose of the CPU along most of the city roads not just clogs traffic but triggers accidents that are being reported almost daily from across the city.
Many of the important roads like Karanpur, EC Road, Subhash Road, Dilaram Chowk and Rajpur Road stand witness to the growing menace of vehicle- users parking their vehicles, house- owners keeping construction materials and shop-keepers flaunting their items for sale right along the roadsides.
“The role of CPU and police is conspicuous by its absence. They are viewing things daily. However, they choose to look the other way with some people recklessly making mockery of laws,” said Ram Gopal, a resident of Dalanwala.
However, according to the people, CPU is hyper-active when it comes to hunting the vehicle users, sans helmets, or those found slightly violating other traffic rules. But they seldom act to free the footpaths from the clutches of encroachers.
This unit has been reduced to an instrument of minting money for the state government, alleged local political leaders several times, citing instances galore. Statistics buttress the view too. last year, around Rs one crore was collected in the form of penalty slapped on traffic norm violation by CPU.
“It is really a riddle why CPU, meant to smoothen traffic, is least bothered over an important part of its official task-to free the footpaths and the roadsides from the vicious grip of the encroachers. Things are the same everywhere be it those near Karanpur police post or Dalanwala police station. They are in mess near DM office, city magistrate office, SP Traffic office, SSP office and DIG Garhwal Range office. We wonder why they are so apathetic when the lives of the tax-payers who walk down these roads are at stake,” said Vinod Panjani, a resident of Salawala.