PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
A day after the issue of the non-functional pink booth in Paltan Bazaar was highlighted by The Pioneer, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajai Singh took prompt action. The booth, meant to enhance women’s safety in Doon’s busiest market, had been lying neglected in the absence of police personnel and had turned into a garbage dump.
The local residents and traders had expressed their concerns over the issue, stating that the booth’s position in the middle of the road was exacerbating traffic and parking problems. Taking cognisance of the issue, Singh deployed police personnel at the booth, ensured its cleaning and removal of vehicles wrongly parked around it. Residents and shopkeepers welcomed the measures taken to resume functioning of the booth and address related issues.
This newspaper had earlier communicated the issue to the SSP who assured necessary action to address the gaps. A day after the issue was highlighted, the pink booth at Paltan Bazaar was observed functioning properly again on Thursday. According to shopkeepers, police was deployed, cleanliness was maintained and vehicles parked around the booth were also removed.
A shopkeeper, speaking on the condition of anonymity informed that on Thursday morning, a police woman was seen on duty at the booth which had also been cleaned while the vehicles parked wrongly around it were also removed to address hindrance to traffic movement. He thanked the authorities for restoring the operation of the pink booth.
Another shopkeeper, who preferred not to be named voiced similar sentiments and urged the authorities to ensure the continued maintenance of the functioning of the pink booth.
Resident Anita Devi stated that following the establishment of the pink booth, police personnel were initially observed at the site, but their presence dwindled, which resulted in the facility turning into a garbage dump. However, during her visit to the market on Thursday, she found the b0oth operating as intended with police personnel present and the garbage removed.
