15 police help centres and separate control room sanctioned for Samruddhi Mahamarg, 420 posts approved

Police surveillance on the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg is set to tighten. The state government has approved 15 police help centres and a separate control room on the expressway. The aim is to ensure the safety of travellers.

Accidents on the route have been rising. Traffic rules are being broken, vehicles are speeding and incidents of robbery have also occurred. The move has been taken to curb these.

The Home Department has issued a government order. Under it, a total of 420 regular posts in various cadres will be created for the 15 police help centres and one control room. This clears the way for a separate and capable police set-up on the Samruddhi Mahamarg.

It is stated that the decision came about through the continued efforts of Minister of State for Home Dr Pankaj Bhoyar. He made repeated efforts at the government level, and the state government finally cleared the help centres and the control room.

The 15 centres will open at Wayfal, Velakeli (Wardha), Dhamangaon Asegaon, Gavner Talegaon-Shivni, Karanja Lad, Malegaon Jahangir, Dusarbid, Sindkhed Raja, Nidhona (Jalna), Savangi (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Hadas-Pimplgaon, Kokamthan (Shirdi), Gonde-Sinnar, Pipri Sadrodden (Igatpuri) and Shahpur-Khutghar.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved the proposal. Bhoyar thanked him for it. Bhoyar said security on the Samruddhi Mahamarg would now be stronger. According to him, the police help centres and the separate control room will help effectively curb accidents, traffic violations and criminal activity.

Once the centres start functioning, police help will be available immediately if an accident occurs on the expressway. Action will be taken against drivers who break traffic rules, suspicious activity will be watched and crime will be better controlled. It is hoped that this will strengthen the safety of those travelling from Nagpur to Mumbai.

The Samruddhi Mahamarg is the state's ambitious, high-speed corridor. Even so, questions have continued to be raised over rising accidents, disregard of traffic rules, drivers' negligence and passenger safety. The need was being felt for a separate police set-up for regular patrolling, immediate help during accidents and crime control.