Mamata Banerjee orders CCTV cameras to stop cops from extorting drivers

Mamata Banerjee said her government’s ‘Safe drive, save life’ programme, which was meant to make roads safer, was being rampantly misused.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday cracked the whip on her own police force following allegations of arbitrary slapping of traffic violation cases and extortion from drivers in Kolkata and other districts.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pulled up the Bengal Police over allegations of extorting drivers in the name of traffic safety. (ANI)

At an administrative meeting at the beach town of Digha in East Midnapore district, Banerjee, who is also the home minister, said the government’s ‘Safe drive, save life’ programme, which was meant to make roads safer, was being rampantly misused.

“I want CCTV cameras to be installed on highways to keep an eye on the police,” the chief minister said and earmarked the route between Kolaghat and Digha to be brought under surveillance.

The meeting, attended by the entire top brass of the administration, including the home secretary and director general of police, was open to the media.

“Why are drivers being charged and fined arbitrarily? Hundreds of cases are being lodged. Also, civic volunteers are made to collect money from drivers. If a driver is carrying Rs 500, he has to part with Rs 200. This cannot be tolerated. I have asked Kolkata Police commissioner Anuj Sharma to take action immediately. The state police must do so as well,” said Banerjee.

“Not just the civic volunteers and police, you must ensure that nobody collects money from drivers on highways,” said Banerjee without directly pointing fingers at workers of political parties who are often found collecting subscription for festivals and pujas from drivers.

Surajit Kar Purakayastha, security advisor to the state government and former DGP, said at the meeting that civic volunteers are not supposed to file traffic violation cases or collect fine. Reacting to this, Banerjee said, “They can be trained to do the job in future. But right now those who are supposed to enforce law on the streets are sending civic volunteers to collect money.”