Menace of drug addiction, reckless riding, thefts and public nuisance bothers Belavatta residents

Mysuru: A slew of complaints poured in during the Police-Public interaction meeting held at Belavatta, near the Metagalli Outer Ring Road (ORR) junction on Wednesday.

The meeting was organised by the Metagalli Police Station under the Vijayanagar Sub-Division and chaired by City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar.

Copper thefts and wheelies

Residents raised serious concerns about the rising menace of drug addicts, increasing road accidents, theft of copper vessels from old houses and rampant wheeling by unruly youths.

Villagers alleged that the area near Varuna Canal has become a hub for drug addicts. They also noted an alarming rise in accidents and pressed for installing traffic signals or deploying Traffic Police to ensure road safety.

Incidents of copper vessel thefts and other articles being stolen from old and unattended homes were reported. Additionally, youths performing dangerous wheelie stunts during night hours have become a major nuisance, prompting calls for strict Police action.

Need for traffic regulation

Vishwanath, a Gram Pan-chayat Member, pointed out that the proximity of Hebbal Industrial Area and GRS Fantasy Park has led to high traffic density on the ORR during peak hours.

He stressed the urgent need to either install traffic signals at the Belavatta junction or post Traffic Police to avoid accidents, which have become a daily occurrence.

Sharavana, a resident, raised concerns about groups of youths gathering outside village shops, causing unease among parents who hesitate to send their daughters out alone. Advocate Kumar echoed the complaints, highlighting the issues caused by drug addicts and reckless bikers.

Assurance of swift action

In her address, Commissioner Seema Latkar said that the meeting was convened in Belavatta due to a surge in complaints since she assumed office.

She assured the public that law and order issues, along with traffic-related concerns, would be addressed promptly. She also promised to write to the respective departments regarding other grievances. Appealing to citizens to actively support law enforcement, Latkar announced that another round of interaction would be held next month.

Commando Police and surveillance

DCP (Law and Order) M. Muthuraju announced that a Commando Police beat system will be introduced to tackle evening gatherings of miscreants. Additionally, plain clothes Police personnel will patrol the area to monitor and act against those harassing young girls.

DCP (Crime and Traffic) K.S. Sundar Raj assured that he had taken note of the demands related to installing traffic signals and deploying Traffic Police. Officers will be posted at the junction during peak hours.

He urged villagers to discreetly record videos of illegal acts like substance abuse or stunt riding and share them with the Police for swift action, without getting into confrontation.

ACP (Traffic) Shivashankar, Vijayanagar Sub-Division ACP P. Raviprasad and Inspectors Diwakar (Metagalli), Suresh Kumar (Vijayanagar), M.R. Lava (V.V. Puram Traffic), Purushotham (Saraswathipuram), along with Sub-Inspectors Shabareesh, Gowtham Gowda and Josna Raju were present.

Siddalingapura Gram Pan-chayat President C. Madesh also attended the meeting.

Calls for more buses and a stadium

Rakshita, a lecturer, Vidya, an Anganwadi teacher and Prema, GP Member, urged authorities to increase the frequency of KSRTC buses to Belavatta.

They lamented the inadequate service for a village with a population of 10,000, which inconveniences students and working women who are forced to rely on autorickshaws or private vehicles to reach Metagalli.

Some villagers also demanded the construction of a playground or stadium in the area and appealed to the authorities to recommend the proposal to the relevant departments.

Become Citizen Police

‘Mysuru city, with a population of 14 lakh, has only 2,000 Police personnel. How can we deploy the Police everywhere? Why can’t you also take part in Policing? It’s not just the job of the Police to identify wrongdoings. Village elders should take responsibility and share information about any illegal activities. Surveillance using CCTV cameras cannot be done by the Police alone. If you install CCTV cameras too, it will not only bring down crime but also help in quicker resolution of cases.

 — Seema Latkar, City Police Commissioner