The Times of India          13.12.2010

Civic body awaits govt nod for police station to deal with illegal structures

PUNE: An urban police station and police chowkeys to act on growing complaints about unauthorised constructions and encroachments in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits have not come up.

Municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma said that the plan to set up a police station and more police chowkeys was awaiting the state government's approval. "We sent it a year ago and have still not received the approval," he said.

The proposal to set up such police stations was mooted by the state government two years ago considering that urban local bodies are short of manpower and executive powers to take effective action against activities that cause nuisance to citizens.

The broad areas the police would take action include unauthorised constructions, encroachments, illegal parking, and debris dumping. The government had also mooted separate courts to conduct trials related to such offences. The PCMC would need the state government's approval for the manpower for the police station and chowkeys.

As per the plan, there would be one police station in Pimpri-Chinchwad, and four police chowkeys-- one each in the four PCMC zones. While the police station will be headed by an officer of the rank of the inspector, the police chowkeys will have sub-inspectors and other duty officers. A total of 40 new posts will have to be created. In addition, PCMC would have to provide them the required offices and vehicles.

The state government had issued a Government Resolution (GR) in March 2009 to all municipal corporations and municipal councils to set up urban police stations and police chowkeys to take action against encroachments.

The government had asked the civic bodies to send a report listing the number of police stations, chowkeys and the new posts that would have to be created. The expenditure for the new posts would be borne by the municipal corporation.

The urban police station would work under administrative control of the municipal corporation. The PCMC has already sent its report to the government along with the resolution approved by the general body for creating the new urban police station.