At Lakhtokia, money really talks!

Contractor Julfikar Ali, who is the proprietor of Techno Compact Builders and considered a big fish, parks his car (ML0556900) covering a portion of the road and the footpath, from morning to evening, almost everyday, much to the inconvenience of others, including school–going children and guardians escorting them. The affected people of the locality say that they have requested the contractor several times only to be rebuked by him.

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, February 3: Big–fish–shy–and–small–fry harsh policing in Guwahati multiplies problems in the state capital, and one of them is man–made traffic srls.

Haphazard and unruly parking has been a serious cause of concern in the Fancy Bazar area in Guwahati. A particular businessman creates numerous problems for the people in Col J Ali Road at Lakhtokia in the city. Contractor Julfikar Ali, who is the proprietor of Techno Compact Builders and considered a big fish, parks his Mahindra XUV car (ML0556900) covering a portion of the road and the footpath, from morning to evening, almost everyday, much to the inconvenience of others, including school–going children and guardians escorting them.

The affected people of the locality say that they have requested the contractor several times only to be rebuked by him. They rightly say that money talks. The essence of this adage is so glaring in the area that even the patrolling police vans that  have to pass the site not less than twice or thrice a day have to look the other way when they reach the very spot where the ‘big fish’ keeps his car parked, covering the footpath and a portion of the road.

The contrasting behaviour of the policemen on duty in the area is stark. The same police personnel, who opt to look the other way when they come across with the parked car of Ali, wield their staffs when they find even a minor error on the part of a commoner, an auto–rickshaw driver or others.

Down–to–earth views of the situation there are that the police personnel on patrol duty and those on traffic duty are either sold or they have their wings clipped. Such big fishes, as often as not,  have long reach of their influence.

The poor local people have no way out. They can either take to the streets or make the habit of tolerating such big fishes.

Talking to The Sentinel recently, public activist Deven Dutta was on record saying that ‘some people in the Lakhtokia area have been using the road as their persol garage. They park their vehicles on the road all throughout the day, denying other road users to park their vehicles there’.