Residents of MG Road take to the streets to protest rising crime graph
GURUGRAM: More than 500 residents of Gurugram’s MG Road area descended upon the Mall Mile on Monday evening for a candle march to protest the rising crimes in the area.
Among the protestors was also state PWD Minister Rao Narbir Singh, who assured to residents that the law and order situation will improve.
The protests comes at a time when Gurugram is cracking the whip on pubs and bars, which have turned into a den of illegal activities.
Among the problems plaguing the Millennium City is the host of unregistered vehicles ferrying to and form South Delhi, Faridabad and even Jaipur. Most of these vehicles can be seen near the Westin Hotel.
Gurugram Police officials claim that strict action is being taken against these illegal cabs. If caught, the vehicles are penalised Rs 2,000. However, there are reports that most drivers get away by paying a bribe between Rs 100 and 300 to the police personnel.
Providing incorrect information, using black tinted glasses and even affixing wrong number plates are some of major complaints registered against these vehicles.
Poorly lit roads have also become a matter of grave concern, with the popular Mall Mile being among the worst affected. Such is the state of Mall Mile that even on weekends, when thousands are seen, the streetlights are off. Crimes, ranging from snatchings to molestation, have occurred because of this.
While the Mall Mile area is replete with plush shopping complexes, large-scale unregulated commercial activities is being on MG Road in the form of unlicensed street side food stalls and, more importantly, liquor vending units.
Unlicensed liquor shops are sprouting in areas like Sikanderpur, Nathupur, and Sukhrali, openly defying the ban imposed by the Haryana government.
The masses have often complained of low police presence in these areas, in spite of police barricades being placed near Sikanderpur and Chakkapur areas of MG road. Residents still complain that the police presence is minimal in many risky areas. Moreover, there have been accusations that law enforcement officials, especially traffic policemen, unnecessarily act tough on frivolous issues such as no putting speed belts and helmets.
Another major challenge for law enforcement officials is mob violence and acts of nuisance in public places by groups of five to ten people.
Such has been the brazenness of these groups that they have not even shied away from attacking policemen. Last year, to scare and disperse a raging mob from harming him, a cop had to shoot in the air.
There are also several reports of illegal parking of vehicles in the area. Despite steps being taken by public agencies to unclog Mall Mile, congestion seems to be a never-ending problem, due to the stronghold of the parking mafia in the region. There have been instances where scuffles have been reported between residents in MG road and drivers who park vehicles in a haphazard manner. GURUGRAM: Ever since the potential of Golf Course Road was realised, private realtors and public agencies left no stone unturned to turn it into one of the most prime real estate centres of Gurugram as well as the country.
Over the years, a world class 18-hole golf course, condominium societies, private and public residential co-operative societies, as well as commercial offices have come up in this posh locale.
In the process, Golf Course Road has proved to be a profitable investment venture for developers and consumers.
Now, following a brief lull, investors are returning to Gurugram and a host of commercial units have sprung up over the last year on the service lanes of Golf Course Road, to cash in on the massive traffic of commuters who pass through the road daily.
The popularity of this is most palpable in areas such as Block A extension, Phase-5 roundabout, and sectors 54 and 56.
Private builders have also started constructing builder floors, as the new floor area ratio (FAR) norms introduced by Haryana government permits builders to construct four floors as compared to the earlier three.
Moreover, some residents of Golf Course Road are now selling their property to builders and moving to quieter places.
“Living in and around the Golf Couse Road has now become more commercial than residential. It has become similar to Vasant Vihar by-lane adjoining the busy Ring Road area. No wonder there are some people who want to profit from it, while some are moving away to the area that is quieter and more peaceful,” said Amandeep Singh, a resident of A block, Phase-1.
Besides builder floors, commercial units have also proliferated in the area, which are becoming popular despite the presence of various malls in the area.
This has also added to the challenge of illegal parking in the Golf Couse Road area.