Bring traffic police under Delhi govt, says House panel

A parliamentary panel on Wednesday pulled up the Union home and road transport ministries for their failure to resolve the issue of "multiple control" over the Delhi Traffic Police, and favoured bringing it under the state government.

A parliamentary panel on Wednesday pulled up the Union home and road transport ministries for their failure to resolve the issue of "multiple control" over the Delhi Traffic Police, and favoured bringing it under the state government.

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Members of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, headed by senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, grilled Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar, city transport commissioner and officials from the home and road transport ministries on the functioning of traffic police following its criticism in the aftermath of last month's gang rape in the Capital.

The panel pointed to the reluctance of the home ministry in parting with the traffic police in the Capital and its "joint failure" with the road transport ministry in setting up the Delhi Urban Mass Transport Authority, as the main reasons behind the lack of improvement in its functioning.

The parliamentary panel is in favour of bringing the Delhi Traffic Police under the state government since it feels criminals take advantage of multiplicity of authorities.

"A holistic policy needs to be put into place. We are going to suggest that traffic police must come under the Delhi government. Our report is likely to be presented in Parliament in the Budget Session," said a committee member.

"In Delhi's case, there is a very peculiar situation where the Delhi transport commissioner and Delhi transport department lay down the rules and regulations for vehicular traffic movement but the enforcement authority of these rules is the traffic police, which comes under Union home ministry," the committee noted.

"Taking advantage of this dual control, criminals get away," a member said.