The nakas set up by the Chandigarh Police on the busy main roads of the city during daytime are more of a hurdle than a security feature, feel residents.
After a string of shooting incidents by gangsters rocked the city, the police started putting up barricades not only on the UT borders and vulnerable points, but also on the busy inner roads near markets, causing chokepoints and snarl-ups.
The cops reason that it is being done to keep a check on vehicular movement, but the practice is leading to traffic snarl-ups on the narrow city roads.
Hitesh Puri, head of CRAWFED, a federation of resident welfare associations, said, “We have repeatedly requested the police and administration that nakas are required at nine border points of the city, but not inside the city. CCTVs may be used effectively to monitor traffic on city roads.”
Residents feel the police are punishing them after the recent incidents. Mohali resident Ashish Kapila, who commutes to Sector 17 daily, said, “It doesn’t help when you are stuck in traffic at 9.30 am on way to office. The cops are just watching road users honking and waiting for their turn to get past on one such chokepoint on the road separating Sectors 33 and 34.”
Most road users said they are not aware what exactly the police check at the nakas. “Neither do they ask for licence or documents of the vehicle, nor do they scan the antecedents of vehicle occupants or the vehicle itself for suspicious objects,” said Nilesh Sharma, a Sector 22 resident, who faces one such naka in Sector 35 daily.
The road users complain that the worst part of the new system is that the cops leave barricades unattended after their shift gets over. “Barricades remain unattended well past 9 am, standing as a hurdle in the middle of the road. At night, somebody may bang into them as many a times there are no reflectors,” said Yukti Verma, a Sector 7 resident.
The barricades near the Chandigarh-Zirakpur border near a CRPF picket is the most cited example of this aberration. Of late, newly put up barricades in the middle of Sector 17, Sector 22 and Sectors 51-52 light point have become problematic.
All the barricaded roads in the southern part of the city are, however, manned by the cops on Sunday afternoon. But the residents say it is the weekdays and office hours when the situation gets worse.
CAN REVIEW NAKAS IF CAUSING INCONVENIENCE TO PUBLIC: IGP
Chandigarh Inspector General of Police Pushpendra Kumar feels police nakas are non-intrusive and for the security of city residents. He, however, is open to a rethink if the system is causing inconvenience to people. Excerpts from a conversation:
Road users complain that barricades near Sector 17, 22, 29 and 34 markets create chokepoints leading to congestion and traffic snarls.
We have not received any such complaint so far. If it comes to our notice, the police will take steps to resolve the issue.
What is the purpose of setting extensive police nakas inside the city on regular days?
Police nakas have been set up to ensure security and safety of the residents. It is done to keep a check on criminals fleeing after an incident. It is a process followed to maintain security.
It was after incidents such as grenade attack on the BJP office and shootings that nakas were introduced. Are they necessary on regular days as well?
Nakas have been laid to curb such incidents only. What is the point of doing it after an incident has taken place?
Is there any timeline?
It is a process the police have followed in the past, depending on the situation. There is no fixed timeline. The police keep reviewing the situation from time to time and act accordingly.
