The Hindu : Front Page : New security measures for the Capital

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Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008
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New security measures for the Capital

Devesh K. Pandey

– PHOTO: ANU PUSHKARNA

SECURITY HAZARD: The Delhi police want roadside vendors like this one here on Ajmal Khan Road to go citing security reasons.

NEW DELHI: Following the deadly blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad and recovery of bombs in Surat and elsewhere, the Delhi police have urged the municipal authorities here in the Capital not to allow “tehbazari” vendors on major roads in the city because apart from causing endless traffic jams they also pose a security risk.

The police feel that heavy presence of roadside vendors all over the city has become a huge security hazard under the prevailing circumstances. “At many places, the vendors have encroached on sidewalks leaving little room for pedestrians. Even in the interior areas of the city, roadsides are chock-o-block with vendors, giving ample opportunity to subversive elements to create disturbance and cause maximum damage,” said a police officer.

In an effort to de-congest the roads, the police in coordination with the civic bodies have also been carrying out joint drives to remove encroachments at marketplaces. Delhi’s Police Commissioner Y. S. Dadwal had raised the issue of “tehbazari” vendors at a recent meeting chaired by the Lieutenant-Governor, contending that it was a major source of traffic congestion on roads.

The police have also launched a massive drive to verify the antecedents of vendors who come under their radar of suspicion and sizable manpower has been devoted to conduct the exercise.

Tenant and domestic servant verification drives have also been intensified across the Capital and efforts are on to centralise the system of data collection on tenant verification.

In another major move, the police authorities of all the districts have been directed to gather information on all bicycles that have been stolen. The FIRs registered in cases of missing and stolen bicycles in recent days and weeks are being collected considering that bicycles have been used to plant improvised explosive devices in the recent serial blasts at Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

“Bicycles were used to keep the bombs at a height where they would cause maximum damage,” points out a Delhi Police officer.

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