National highways (NHs)are to be ‘secured’ in Palamu. Vehicular traffic on NH-75 and NH 98 usually comes to a halt after ten at night. Sources said those who dare travel on these two NHs after ten at night do so at their own risk.
Sources said police outpost at Satbarwa on NH-75 and police station Harihurganj on NH-98 even place huge red colour drums on the NHs a reminder not to travel at odd hours of night.
Palamu has a brief stretch of NHs. NH-75 starts from Satbarwa and goes upto P Rehla a distance of nearly 63 Kms.
Again NH-98 starts from Parwa More and goes to Herihurganj police station the border of Jharkhand Palamu’s with Bihar a distance 52 to 53 Kms.
NH-75 is more secured in Palamu as here are OP Satbarwa, Daltonganj police station Rajhara police station and Rehla police station.
NH-98 is highly vulnerable as it is covered by just Nawa Bazar police station Chhaterpur police station and Harihurganj police station.
SP Palamu Indrajeet Mahatha said he wanted NHs to be fully secured for all purposes and under no circumstances NHs here should be any ‘shut’ as he reiterated NHs are functional /operative 24x7.
NH-98 has two valleys called Kanda ghatee and Sultanee ghatee.
Sources said Indrajeet Mahatha recently reached Sultanee Ghatee and saw things for himself.
Giving his impression about Sultanee Ghatee which is on NH 98 SP Palamu said this location has a notorious past and he wanted to secure this stretch for people to travel without any fear whether it is day or night. Sources said NH robbery/ dacoity/ kidnapping for ransom/ murder/ vehicle loot/ killing of long distance truck drivers etc have been the stigma of this NH 98 here in the past.
He did not disclose as to how he would go about this to secure this Sultanee Ghatee. He just mentioned the idea of highway patrolling and night vigil etc here.
Mahatha conceded that from Chhaterpur to Harihurganj a stretch of 22 Kms or so there is no mid way police outpost while the surroundings in this stretch is favourable to naxals and the criminals.
Sources said this Sultanee Ghatee and its stretch is also infamous for stone mafia. Sources said hundreds of acres of forest land here have been manipulated by the vested interests for stone mining and thereafter its crushing in plant!
Sources said Chhaterpur Harihurganj stretch on NH 98 is equally infamous for illegal cattle trade. Bihar’s proximity further makes this Sultanee Ghatee a highly porous one said sources where influx and exit of criminals from here or from Bihar is difficult to be ruled out.