The Times of India: Nagpur: Friday, July 27, 2012.
The ramshackle police chowkies, visible at some street corners, already cut a sorry picture. If one expects assistance from them during emergency then chances are bleak there would be any response. Forget help, these chowkies remain locked most of the time and calls made to the telephones available at some of these police posts would often go unanswered.
An RTI query by a political and social worker about the status of these police chowkies has exposed their pathetic condition. TOI got a first-hand experience of this when only three calls made to 29 police chowkies, including two of the hospital and another at Ganga Jamuna, responded. Surprisingly, the RTI query revealed that around Rs10,000 were shown as expenditure towards telephone maintenance at these chowkies.
The RTI query by BJP worker Jamal Siddiqui in March this year revealed that only 28 out of the 67 police chowkies or posts were functional in the city while another 21 are operating on temporary basis. Of the 67 chowkies, around 29 had dedicated telephone lines. TOI's reality check offered more shocking results. Many of the police posts, which were declared in the RTI as functional, were locked. Local residents, too, had equally horrible experiences to share, like spotting police personnel at some of the chowkies indulge in objectionable activities.
In the past, a few constables from Sitabuldi Police Station had to face action after a couple complained about harassment at Kachipura police chowkie.
Siddiqui, who claims to be fighting for the issue, said the police department needs to revive non-functional police chowkies. "Unauthorized persons can be seen at these police chowkies. At Tajbagh, I have seen a mentally challenged man, who identified himself as an ACP, occupying the chair. Members of some private organizations often throng the Rambagh chowkie for no reason," he said. Siddiqui has been trying to revive the Subhedar Layout police chowkie for the last few years but in vain.
Admitting that some of the chowkies were non-functional, city police chief, Ankush Dhanvijay, said, "There is no denying some of the police chowkies would be found unmanned or telephone calls not answered on some occasions as the police personnel deployed at these posts are also expected to be on patrolling duty, which is equally important," he said.
Dhanvijay also said the police department is contemplating about scrapping some of these chowkies to open new ones. "We plan to open one or two chowkies under every police station's jurisdiction depending upon the requirement of the area. We are still trying to work out the budget and funds that can be made available from various heads to open these new chowkies," he said.
Why are they often locked ?
· Manpower crunch at every police station
·Increase in population, areas and responsibilities have outnumbered the existing strengthat every police station
· The constabulary often avoids these rickety chowkies and prefer to remain present elsewhere
· Condition of some of the chowkies repulsive, without any proper furniture, lights or fan
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