Residents of tech hub praise hard-working cops

Bengaluru: People often slam police for strict enforcement of law. But, for a change, residents of Whitefield division Saturday were all praise for the personnel for their dedication to resolve problems in the tech hub.Despite putting up with frequent traffic snarls through the day, residents lauded police's work at the monthly Janasamparka Divas programme. Participating in the meeting, chaired by top cop B Dayananda, residents appreciated police's quick response to complaints and hassle-free handling of cases in all eight police stations of Whitefield division. At the same time, residents poured out their problems relating to traffic in and around the tech corridor. Drawing cops' attention to slow-moving traffic, AECS Layout resident Venkatesh said, "Narrow roads and parking of vehicles on either side are to blame for the mess. Vehicles are parked even in no-parking zones. Almost all footpaths are occupied by vendors and a few shops also encroach on pavements. Often these places are converted into smoking zones by cigarette-sellers. Women and kids feel unsafe to walk there."Shailendra, a resident, highlighted the shortage of staff in the division. "While there is severe scarcity of staff at KR Pura police station, Varthur station is not only small but also in a dilapidated condition." He also highlighted peak-hour traffic congestion near ITI Colony. Several residents pointed out that many cars in the locality still move around with tinted glasses. Citizens complained about traffic violations by water tankers. Sunil Gowda from Mahadevapura said, "Most houses and companies rely on tankers, but many of them don't have proper number plates and are driven by under-age migrants without valid driving licence." Dayananda acknowledged traffic problems in the division. "I could see that most of the complaints are traffic-related and our senior officials have taken note of them. We will address them at the earliest."SOME COMPLAINTSIncrease night patrollingCrack down on alcohol consumption in public places Avoid frequent transfers of police officersWiden roads, enforce ban order on bannersTake srict action against wheelies