PATNA: The fund-starved Patna police is in a fix over how to regulate the fragile traffic system in the state capital.
While the city roads remain crammed with vehicles the entire day long, the police have no money to meet exigencies to improve the traffic system and provide relief to people caught in the perennial traffic snarls. IG Patna zone Rajvardhan Sharma, in a letter to the director general of police A R Sinha, has proposed that a separate fund could be created by asking the revenue and transport departments to part with 50 per cent of the total money which the police collect by way of imposing fine on traffic violators.
If the money is so collected and deposited in the coffers of the traffic police, a corpus fund could be raised and it would also propel the police force to carry out regular checks on vehicles. During the year 2006 the traffic police collected a sum of Rs 56.10 lakh from vehicle owners for violation of traffic rules.
The money was then handed over to the transport department. If parting of 50 per cent money collected by traffic police is agreed upon the Patna police could have Rs 28.05 lakh as it share for improving the traffic scenario.
"A separate contingency fund has become essential for the traffic police as the traffic in Patna is taking the shape of metros. For, the local police are unable to meet the exigencies including putting up banners, placards, signboards, road signs, painting of zebra crossings and purchase of illuminating jackets, illuminating sticks, arm bands, portable dividers, breath analysers, speedometers, wheel-locks and public address systems needed for regulating traffic,
Sharma said. He added that in the event of an emergency the traffic police have to bank on different departments including transport, road construction, public relation, and urban development. Since coordination among different departments is time-consuming, all efforts of the traffic police to improve the traffic system have failed. The proposal of the IG (Patna zone) further suggested that the senior SP should be made in-charge of such fund for the purpose of improving the traffic system in Patna district.
Informed sources said though the home department has agreed, in principle, to the proposal, it remains to be seen when it will be implemented.
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