Bhopal: Shortage of vehicles in police stations is making cops immobile, affecting their service deliverance. To instil confidence among people and fear among goons, police patrolling and surveillance is must but for the want of vehicles, the movement of cops is being hampered. Non-availability of required number of vehicles in police stations is also coming in way against checking crime, specially against women and child in the state.
The cops, who are need to be on the move all the time are being made to sit at the police stations most of the time as they do not have vehicles for commutation. There are reportedly around 1056 police stations in State and most of them are sans adequate number of four wheeler, motor bikes and two-wheelers required for patrolling and keeping surveillance.
As per the rule, every police station should have two to three four -wheelers at their disposal, however, this remains only on paper as in reality, there is one four-wheeler and that too is used by the police station in-charge, the rest of the cops have to depend on their personal vehicles.
Currently, for police field staff need there is urgent need of around 2,000 light vehicles at the police stations across the state. While 2000 motorcycles are need to be provided to police personnel, the female cops service at police station in the state need to be given around 3,000 two-wheeler (scooty)
The government had provided a few motorcycles for the ‘Baaz Squad’ for patrolling, however, they fall short in number in time of emergency. Police department had recently called 1000 old and condemned vehicles from the field and sold them in scrap market. The department is still to replace them with new ones and thus many police stations today stand sans official vehicles.
Importantly many of the vehicles currently being used by cops have crossed their age limit or the mileage limits and are unfit for the use. Light vehicles including jeep, Bolero, TATA Safari and continue to serve despite having crossed their mileage limit of 1.80 lakh kms.
Cops continue to use old unfit vehicles as the state government is not allocating funds for purchase of new vehicles. A number of women cops are manning the police stations as the government has reserved 33 per cent of the posts for them. However, these women cops are not mobile enough as most of them do not have vehicles to move around. In all across the state, the department had handed over only 130 two-wheeler (scooty) to female police personnel, while others have either use their personal vehicle or depend on others or else keep sitting at the police station.
While delivering their duties they have to visit crime spot, attend to emergency calls, record statements of female victims, investigations, and to carry out these activities they need to be mobile. Even as Dial-100 FRV is available, but the police station staff is not able to support and assist the FRVs due as they are short of vehicles.
