Will act tough on land grabbers: Top cop

CLEARED SKHER

Aurangabad

: Police commissioner Nikhil Gupta said that he had been receiving at least 25 complaints of land grabbing since taking charge and assured that the police would take tough action against the suspects.

Speaking to a select group of newsmen, Gupta, who had worked as deputy police commissioner about 15 years back, said that many things have changed in these years.

“I had directed all the personnel in charge of police stations to prepare a list of land grabbers. We have the list. If they amend their ways, fine, otherwise we will take stern action against them under the MPDA,” Gupta said on Monday.

Gupta, who took over on September 4, said that his focus would be on strengthening community policing.

He also asserted his resolve to streamline the traffic system, which he felt, is not in a good shape. He made it clear that violators of the traffic norms would not be spared. “A city’s growth dependants on its environment. Outsiders make an opinion of a city by seeing the traffic. If its unruly, it sends the wrong message,” he said.

He said residents would be encouraged to come up with good suggestions to improve the policing and traffic system. He admitted that bike theft in the city has become a big problem. The police were already making efforts to check such incidents

“The city has 32 exit points, including the 12 major thoroughfares, and many outsiders come and leave from the city. Many two-wheelers are lifted when they were parked casually, not in the proper place meant for parking. People should also take care of their own things,” he said.

Gupta has also resolved to revive peace committees in each police station and good and educated people are engaged in such committees. Deputy commissioner of police Meena Makwana and ACP Ashok Bankar too were present during the interaction.