PUNE, India, 10 April 2006 — The Congress party-led government in Maharashtra has come under severe attack from it’s own police department for increasing law and order and traffic problems in Pune.
Inaugurating an office of the assistant commissioner of police, Wanworie division, Pune, Police Commissioner Dhananjay Jadhav dared to take on the government. “ If the government does not take into consideration the law and order problems prior to embarking on the city’s development, then peace, safety and security of the citizens will be in grave danger,” warned Jadhav.
Declaring that he has nothing to fear, as he has two years left to retire, Jadhav said he was more concerned about the future security and safety aspects of the citizens of Pune, which is now the biggest information technology hub in the western state of Maharashtra.
Pune is growing rapidly, with suburbs such as Kothrud, Hinjewadi, Hadapsar showing a huge increase in population, but the police strength has remained the same with fewer vehicles to patrol the streets, Jadhav said.
“On a small stage, the police have to act and dance, within the limitations and constraints. It is high time politicians and social workers take serious cognizance of the root cause of the problem,” he said.
Taking a dig at the government, Jadhav said that it was wrong to take major city planning decisions such as construction of flyover projects without taking the prior opinion of the police. Once such projects are completed, the police are called to do “fire-fighting,” Jadhav complained.
