DCP Ashok Morale’s Term In Pune Ends After 15 Months
Activists across the city, agitated by the traffic chaos on the roads, feel untangling the mess will require sustained efforts from the person who heads the traffic branch of the Pune police.
Many of them on Monday demanded that a deputy commissioner of police heading the traffic branch be given a fixed tenure of two years.The demand came after DCP (Traffic) Ashok Morale was transferred to the special branch-I on August 4. Additional superintendent of Pune rural police Tejaswi Satpute will now take charge in his place.
Activists said the huge infrastructural work like the Pune Metro rail project and the smart city development projects will take a toll on the traffic across the city. All these works will go on for years and have to be in tandem with various authorities like the Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority .
Activist Qaneez Sukhrani said, “Such frequent transfers of DCP traffic is certainly not in the city’s interest. Several DCPs have been transferred in the last three years. It seems as though the state is playing musical chairs and has forgotten that 2019 is round the corner. Any new person would take few months to understand the chaos that is inherent of Pune scenario. During the past year, Morale has gradually brought in traffic discipline, daily drives for fine and penalty collection rather than to meet end of the month’s target.”
Levying fines on motorists had increased during Morale’s tenure, Sukhrani said. “But if discipline takes over, how will politicians moot for more and more flyovers and underpasses using up public money under the pretext of traffic congestion,” she added.
Activist Vijay Shahapurkar said the city has expanded because of the merger of fringe villages and it takes at least six months for a new officer taking over the reins of the traffic branch to understand issues relating to traffic. He or she has to study traffic laws, government notifications, identity chronic spots, chowks, junctions and get to know the whole team.
“A traffic chief plays an important role in bandobust during VVIP dignitaries and prominent personalities’ visits. The DCP should be allowed to complete his tenure in larger public interest. A midterm transfers affects traffic discipline, regulation and enforcement and development plans relating to traffic gets a back seat,” he added.
PMRDA superintendent of police (controller of unauthorised constructions) Sarang Awad said, “The DCP (Traffic) should enjoy a complete tenure because he takes time in understanding the problems relating to traffic. It helps him take corrective and remedial measures and make a difference in improving traffic conditions in the city. Maintaining traffic regulation and discipline is team work. It also gives him ample time to liaison with the authorities in PMC, PCMC, PMRDA, NHAI, PWD, Cantonment Boards, NGOs, civic activists and prominent citizens.”
When contacted, Morale refused any comment on his transfer. When it was brought to his notice that Morale was sent on duty to Nagpur recently and it had affected the traffic situation in the city, police commissioner K Venkatesham said he would look into the matter.
Source : TOI
