Editor,
Anyone visiting Tura will immediately observe that this major town of the state is a lawless den. I am not referring here to the insurgent and extortion problems which are not easily visible over ground. I am talking of the visible unashamed breaking of the law by those that are meant to uphold the law and which we see every day on the streets of Tura. The Deputy Commissioner, and most of the ADCs who were, even before the Supreme Court ruling not entitled to use them, used to go around with red beacons on their vehicles. After the ruling, the red lights have been removed but are replaced by amber coloured beacons! I am not aware that the Supreme Court has permitted this. Private vehicles of other politicians and political leaders still have the red beacons fitted but they have just been covered. This is also against the ruling of the Supreme Court. Almost all the BSF vehicles in the town have red beacons and they are still merrily going around with them! Many private vehicles are continue with the black film on their car windows. Will someone please bring all this to the notice of the Supreme Court since the law keepers themselves are breaking the law and seem not to give a damn!
Then all the Gipsy vehicles of the police department are running without any registration number plate on them. When their occupants commit excesses or there is rash driving which is often, we cannot complain as we have no vehicle number! Is this not against the Motor Vehicle Act? Even a white escort vehicle with blue and red beacon lights has no registration number plate! And during the last election, many police vehicles were used as escorts for the Observers. They were meant for security of the Observer but instead, the policemen aggressively hailed all other vehicles off the road as if only the Observer has right of way!
We notice that for most part of the day there is not a single traffic policeman on the busy main road junctions! Even if they are present they are purely ornamental. If there is a traffic jam on the right side of the road, the traffic policeman moves away from his point towards the left side of the road! There is double parking in many narrow streets but the policeman ignores these sights! Then suddenly on some days you find two to three policemen including Sub Inspectors on all junctions and then you realize that it is because the Chief Minister is coming to town! The traffic policemen wake up only when the CM comes. It seems every government departments here moves for the CM’s comfort only! Common people be damned!
One great menace to commuters and drivers alike in Tura are the two wheelers. Many are driven by boys who have not crossed 12 years of age. How they have got a driving licence, if at all, is a mystery. They also drive dangerously and many a times are the cause of serious accidents. Most of the drivers do not wear helmets. Many have two pillion riders and once I even saw four young boys driving a bike in the busy market area. Policemen simply close their eyes to all this. After all, accidents are a source of money making for the policemen!
The Home Minister should also spend time in Tura and see how policemen are behaving. Perhaps then she would have a firsthand account about Tura being a lawless town!
Talking of driving licences, the less said of the DTO’s office the better. The DTO himself is available five days in every 45 days. The rest of the time he is in Shillong! It takes about 45 days to get your new vehicle registration papers or renewal of your licence done as the reason given is always “DTO is not in Tura!” Transport Secretary and Transport Commissioner please do something.
Yours etc.,
Sertush B Marak,
Chandmari, Tura