BRIBES * India - World of Tapan Mitra or something’s rotten in the state of the traffic guard

A sergeant’s diary against his boss suggests something’s rotten in the state of the traffic guard. What’s the world it directs one way or another like

Calcutta,India -The Calcutta Telegraph -11 Aug 2008: -- Metro ventured on Thursday into the empire of the Shyambazar Traffic Guard for a taste of how it’s being ruled by Tapan Mitra, the officer-in-charge lately in the news for being accused by a sergeant of trying to stop him from performing his duty... Sudip Maity, the 26-year-old sergeant, was shunted out of the traffic guard on Wednesday, a day after he made the allegation, but Mitra was keeping an eye on his backyard from a Tata Sumo parked at the Shyambazar five-point crossing when Metro caught up with him around 12.30pm... More about what was happening around the OC later but first the point close to where Maity had on Monday booked a lorry driver for violating a signal and allegedly received a mouthful from his boss, Mitra, for his action... Cossipore crossing, noon: Trucks are allowed to ply in the city between 10pm and 8am (only Posta-bound vehicles coming from Second Hooghly bridge are permitted between 12 and 4pm) and the fine for flouting this rule is Rs 2,000... A signboard, “No entry for goods vehicles”, is planted smack in the middle of the intersection. But lorries loaded with cement and other goods (in picture No. 1 two such vehicles are seen passing the sign) travel both ways — towards and away from the city...The drivers were dropping folded currency notes into the extended hands of the two constables deployed at the crossing. At times, it seems they are shaking hands. Not a single driver passed without paying respect to the policemen until they noticed our camera...From them on, the sight turned funny: the drivers are putting their hands out with the money but the constables waved them on with their batons... It’s not that the constables themselves are pocketing the money. So where does the day’s collection go? Your guess is as good as ours... Chitpore police station, noon: Around 10 cement-laden lorries are parked illegally on Cossipore Road close to the police station. The road space is squeezed by the parked vehicles, which obviously cannot remain there unless they are allowed to... A driver, ferrying cement and on his way to deliver at Cossipore, says: “We enter the city only to unload goods and drive back. The entry fee (read bribe) for a lorry is Rs 150 for a day.”... Shyambazar Traffic Guard, 11.30am: Lorries have a free run in the restricted zone on Bidhan Sarani right under the nose of the traffic guard which has its office there. The driver of a fruit-loaded vehicle, which is passing through, says: “The owner pays the traffic guard, so there is no hassle. We take this route every day.”... Another lorry driver says most truck owners pay a fixed amount to the traffic guard. In the picture No. 3 , a goods vehicle is caught passing by the traffic guard office with the signboard in the background...Shyambazar 5-point crossing, 12.30pm: This is where Mitra (in picture No. 4), the OC, is camping... Asked why heavy vehicles are being allowed into a restricted a zone, Mitra said: “All the lorries are carrying gas and fuel, which are essential commodities and there is no curb on their movement"... He refuses comment when it is pointed out that lorries carrying other goods are also running... While we were on our way to Cossipore and passing by Shyambazar, which was before 12 noon, light goods vehicles were plying, though they are not supposed to till midday...