Other States - Orissa   

Police commissionerate faces teething problems

BHUBANESWAR: Two months after the new police commissionerate system for twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack came into force, high hopes for improvement in law and order situation seem to be fizzling out fast.

Thanks to ‘unenthusiastic’ bureaucracy, which instead of strengthening the police administration appears to be reneging in the midway. The State Government has so far issued only one notification while other executive powers are yet to be delegated to the commissionerate.

The police commissionerate apparently continues with old policing system now. Neither it has any major say in regulating traffic in the twin cities nor does it exercise magisterial powers as mandated in the urban policing system.

“It has become difficult to meet the aspirations of people. General public is under the impression that things would improve. On the contrary, the commissionerate has no power to even demarcate a parking space,” Police Commissioner Binoy Behera told The Hindu here on Friday.

“Police cannot even impose a fine on errant drivers and compound any offence under the Orissa Urban Police Act 2003. Whatever fine is imposed for traffic violation, it is based on powers delegated to transport department,” Mr. Behera said.

Instead of extending cooperation, the top bureaucracy in a recent office memorandum ordered that “all other powers of district magistrate, additional district magistrate and other executive magistrate conferred under the provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure or under any other acts or rules for the time being in force in Orissa, shall remain unaltered as they have not been vested with officers of the commissionerate.”

In the first place the police commissionerate had identified 74 vacant spaces along three important road stretches such as Janpath, Sachivalaya Marg and Vidyut Marg for creation of parking lots in Bhubaneswar. However, the police were not given freehand to proceed with the endeavour. Surprisingly, many of these vacant areas have since been converted into vending zones.

Even though a modern traffic regulation was put in place at busy junction of Rajmahal Square, it could not give desired success as the roads were very narrow. “While width of the single road is 35 feet, the divider has been created on 40 feet wide space. Nowhere it has happened,” Mr. Behera observed.

The commissionerate also faces manpower crunch. Traffic of entire Bhubaneswar and Cuttack was supposed to be managed by one deputy commissioner of police (DCP) who was to be assisted by three Assistant DCPs. However, only two inspectors were appointed for the purpose in the past 60 days.

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