Shortage of around 2000 cops impeding rules implementation
*Police Stns yet to be designated to probe accidents’ causes
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 20: A proposal regarding much-needed reorganization of Traffic Police in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is gathering dust in the official files of the Finance and Home Departments during the past quite long time despite the fact that deficiency of around 2000 personnel is impeding implementation of rules. Moreover, Police Stations are yet to be designated by the J&K Police Headquarters for investigating the causes of accidents, which are frequently taking place in the length and breadth of the Union Territory.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Council in its 6th meeting held on October 17, 2019 had held detailed discussion on sanction of additional manpower and reorganization of Traffic Police and accordingly the Administrative Secretary of the Home Department was asked to take a view to augment manpower within a month and submit Action Taken Report (ATR) to the Road Safety Secretariat.
During the 7th meeting of the Road Safety Council held recently, it was submitted that a proposal for creation of 431 posts in Phase-II has remained under examination in consultation with Police Headquarters and Finance Department.
It was revealed that proposal was earlier submitted to the Finance Department vide UO dated February 20, 2014 and March 12, 2015 but was returned each time by the Finance Department with some observations. On August 30, 2016 the Finance Department reiterated that the Home Department may also explore the possibility of reorganization and strengthening of Traffic Police out of special grant from the Ministry of Home Affairs by taking up the matter with them and revert to Finance Department with feedback, sources informed.
Moreover, the Finance Department told the Home Department that it may meet the requirement for traffic constabulary out of the quota of 10,000 SPOs some of whom can be spared for traffic wing for regulation of vehicular movement.
“All this indicates that the proposal for reorganization of Traffic Police is gathering dust in the official files”, sources said while disclosing that at present Traffic Police is facing shortage of around 2000 personnel, adding “the problem is at the level of enforcement officers despite the fact that with the increase in vehicular population the Traffic Police’s responsibilities have increased considerably”.
They further informed that reorganization of Traffic Police was done in the year 2007-08 and thereafter no serious attention has been paid towards this important aspect by the successive Governments in Jammu and Kashmir. “In the absence of adequate manpower, the Traffic Police is finding it difficult rather impossible to provide capacity building training to its personnel which otherwise is imperative for their good behavior with the public while enforcing the rules”, sources said.
“It is really a matter of serious concern that on one side the vehicular population is increasing rapidly with every passing year and on the other side the manpower of Traffic Police remains far-less than the required as a result of which violations of rules generally get unnoticed particularly in districts other than Jammu and Srinagar”, sources said.
In the 6th Road Safety Council meeting, even the issue of designation of Police Stations for investigating the causes of accidents was discussed and accordingly it was decided that Home Department will designate at least eight Police Stations for investigations regarding causes of accidents. Moreover, the Home Department was asked to submit Action Taken Report to the Road Safety Secretariat within one month.
During the 7th meeting of Road Safety Council, it was revealed that the matter was taken up with the Police Headquarters vide Letter No.THQ/GB/Traffic-PS/2018/8804-05 dated July 7, 2018 and No.THQ/Estt/Re-org/19/12975 dated January 1, 2019 but the report is still awaited, sources said, adding “the inaction on the communications of the Traffic Police Headquarters clearly establishes that ascertaining the reasons behind increasing road accidents is least priority for the Government and concern over the grave problem remains confined to official statements after every tragic accident”.
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