RWA’s Happy to Throw Open Colony Gates……. BUT will POLICE & SDMC Do Their Job
When it Suits them both POLICE and SDMC encourage RWA’s to put up gates as it reduces their workload tremendously. But both have shied away from framing a sensible Policy for installation of gates. In places the Guidelines from both differ, creating ambiguity.
It has been a long-standing demand of RWA’s to frame a Policy keeping the current reality in mind, in terms of feasibility and manpower requirement of both RWA’s and Authorities.
Gates are the quintessential CHICKEN & EGG STORY…… Why did the need to put up gates arise ??? The simple answer is BECAUSE POLICE FAILED TO PROVIDE SECURITY; SDMC FAILED TO STOP SQUATTERS & DDA ALLOWED MIXED LAND USE DESPITE RWA OBJECTIONS. RWA’s are Happy to do away with gates PROVIDED the Police and SDMC perform their duties, for which citizens pay Taxes.
Every now and the arguments such as passage to Fire Brigade, Medical Emergency, New Visitors etc are touted, but has anyone pondered……
1. The Fire Engines get stuck more due to haphazardly parked vehicles and not the gates
2. Medical Emergencies, most intersections and trisection on arterial roads have been closed and every vehicle has to take long detours or take U-Turns under Flyovers, therefore, having to cover longer distances.
3. New Visitors...... Google Maps, Mobile Communications have changed the way most people reach their destinations.
While understanding the gravity of the situation, it also has to be understood that some CURBS AND DETOURS ACTUALLY CUT TRAVEL TIME, THOUGH A LONGER DISTANCE IS TRAVERSED. In an emergency, time is of essence and not distance traveled. It is a mindset issue we are grappling with, Courts give Judgment based on laid not Rules & Guidelines and not what is Needed or Ground Reality.
Recently, an RWA in GK-I had to throw open all Gates on Court Orders because a disgruntled Resident and the adjoining Market Association wanted access to the rear entrance of Shops & Restaurants in the wee hours of the night. ONLY LAST NIGHT AT 4 AM COUNTER FIR'S HAVE BEEN FILED AFTER A VERBAL BOUT, EVEN LADIES WERE NOT SPARED.
RELIABLE SOURCES TELL ME ALL RWA'S UNDER SDMC WILL SOON BE GIVEN the NOTICE TO THROW OPEN GATES.
Now, whose Rights do we Protect, Residents or Late Night Revelers using colony roads for thoroughfare, parking, making merry 24X7 or drunken brawls at 2 am? Pubs operate well beyond closing time with authorities turning a Blind Eye and complaints falling on deaf ears of Police and SDMC.
When RWA’s protest against conversion of Residential Areas into Commercial, no heed is paid. Because authorities are only interested in Revenue Generation through Conversion Charges. Forced to take steps to Secure themselves RWA’s get support from Police and SDMC but they won’t frame policies that will protect RWA’s from Court’s Wroth.
EPCA ALSO NEEDS TO BE BLAMED, they are only concentrating on how to regulate traffic and find Parking. They have not gotten to the root of the Problem…. BAD MPD-2021.
IN THIS CHICKEN & EGG STORY ……. RWA’s Will Gladly Throw Open The Gates ……. BUT AUTHORITIES WILL END UP WITH EGG ON FACE …… As It Is Their Duty To Maintain Security and Civic Order. AMEN.
Regards,
Rajiv Kakria
