KUMARHATTI: The residents of this town are sore over the authorities’ cold response to their long pending demand to shift Dagshai police chowki here. The police chowki was currently running in an old building at Dagshai since the late 19th century while serving little purpose to check the anti social activities. Over the year the Dagshai has lost its commercial viability. In fact it was now a sleepy cantonment with not much of happenings so far.
The most of the activities were now center staged around this town that was situated along Kalka- Shimla national highway no 22. Around 100 villages were fallen under Dagshai police chowki. For most of villages, Kumarhatti was the center point rather than the Dagshai. The lack of transportation to Dagshai was another problem. Presently there was only bus service available to Dagshai. To reach police chowki one has to either to trudge 3-km upstream the hills or to pay the exorbitant rates to taxis.
The odd location of police chowki has come as major motivation factor for anti social elements. Even for chowki police personnel it was hard to maintain law and order by sitting away on an isolated location at a hilltop. During any mishappening they have to waste their time to reach down in town first from Dagshai. On many occasions the police assistance delayed due to outer location of chowki. The local panchayat has sought shifting of chowki on many occasions but of no avail.
It was virtually illogical to keep the chowki at Dagshai, pointed out the town residents. In some cases the police intervention was timely required but that could not happen here, they maintained. Sources in police said that due to the location of helipad at Dagshai the shift demand has ignored. The helipad was being used by VIPs and Army personnel, sources asserted.
Ironically the district police some years back had planned to set up a police post in town. But it has not yet set up due to the reasons best known to police authorities.
