Risky demolition drives put officials in line of fire

GURUGRAM: The death of a patwari on Tuesday has brought into sharp focus the risks government servants run in carrying out their responsibilities.
Whether they are officials from the department of town and country planning, land revenue officers or traffic cops, these men and women work in the knowledge that danger lurks at every corner. They are often left to fend for themselves, for little reward.

Towards the end of May, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, in a massive demolition drive, was able to clear seven acres of encroached land in the Aravali Biodiversity Park.

The team arrived well prepared, accompanied by around 400 cops and with riot control vehicles at the ready. But not all such operations are as smooth or successful.

In the same month, an MCG team that had gone to Sheetla Mata colony to raze illegal structures falling within the 300m radius of the IAF ammunition depot, came under attack from local people.

Mohan Singh, the district town planner who was supervising the drive, fractured his right arm while trying to escape from the mob, while two other members of the team received minor injuries. There were 500 cops assigned to protect the team but, Singh said later, the police did little to save them.

Meanwhile, early on a January morning, a special police officer was run over by a speeding SUV while patrolling the Old Delhi-Gurugram Road in Palam Vihar.

Following Mukesh Kumar’s death, officers at Palam Vihar told TOI that traffic cops on duty on this stretch often bear the brunt of the antics of rash drivers, looking to make merry on empty roads.

Then there are the brave cops risking their lives to catch gang members, cops who are often at the mercy of these dreaded gangsters and criminals.

They, more than most, know what it is like to be attacked while on duty.

Only last week, in a joint operation between police teams from Mewat and Dehradun, three cops were injured in a bungled raid to nab a gangster. And in June, two cops were hurt in crossfire in an attempt to catch a notorious criminal.

The death of Ishwar Singh is a strong reminder to the authorities to take urgent action and assure some measure of security to the many like him. Otherwise, Gurugram’s public servants will find they can no longer work honestly and without fear.