NAGPUR: City police, caught in a bind on the first day of the extended restrictions on Monday due to many people claiming exemptions as per the guidelines, have now changed their strategy for better enforcement.
As per the fresh security blueprint, cops are now set to close down more than 15 bridges or flyovers and also block maximum feeder lanes leading to the main roads for stricter vigilance from day two onwards till March 21.
On Monday, cops had already closed Ajni and Gowari flyovers after failing to check vehicles plying on them. City police chief Amitesh Kumar said too many relaxations marred enforcement of guidelines on day one.
Based on the first day’s experience, Kumar has also requested NMC to modify the existing extended restriction guidelines to accommodate some crucial changes. “Police suggested that vegetable shops, carts, grocery outlets, meat retailers and so on should be allowed only between 12 noon and 4pm so that the combined crowd of purchasers and office-goers do not swell the population on the roads in the morning,” he said, adding, “We have also told the NMC to stop construction activities and allow teachers to work from home,” said the top cop.
A stricter focus on day two would be to also seize vehicles and impound licences of citizens on roads without valid reasons. On the first day, cops detained around 576 vehicles. A larger number of the vehicles were detained but many of the owners managed to get them released claiming plying for exempted services.
Kumar, who had to summon emergency meetings after the experience of the first two hours on Monday, also decided to check private offices where the NMC had allowed 10 percent employees for the financial year ending work. The top cop’s decision came following observations of the field units that maximum people checked by personnel at nakabandi points were ‘office-goers’ who created a big flow of vehicular movements between 9am and 11.30am and also between 5pm and 7.30pm forcing the khaki department to bring private premises under the scanner.
Kumar said the order was only for offices or organizations registered under the Company’s Act to function with the prescribed number of employees but a large number of non-registered companys were also found operating with bigger numbers. “We have already alerted the civic body about major violations by offices. Police have also decided to form smaller teams at the zonal level to make surprise visits and take legal action against offices,” said the CP.