Traffic police personnel in Mysuru walked up the Chamundi Hills early on Sunday to participate in a session aimed at making them more people-friendly and tourist-friendly. The entire working strength of the Mysuru City Traffic police, numbering around 200, gathered at Tavarekatte at the foothills at the crack of dawn and began their trudge to the hilltop.
After covering the 7-km distance to the hilltop in about one hour and visiting the Chamundeshwari temple, the police personnel gathered in a guest house for a session aimed at making them more people and tourist-friendly.
Psychologist and Administrative Training Institute (ATI) faculty R.N. Kumar and retired Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) public relations officer Jayaprakash Rao held counselling sessions for the traffic personnel.
Speaking to The Hindu , Deputy Commissioner (Traffic and Crime) Vikram Amathe said the traffic police personnel participated in the session enthusiastically after the walk to the hilltop. After the talks by Dr. Kumar and Mr. Rao, the police personnel opened up and participated in a discussion with the senior officers. “They shared their opinion freely keeping hierarchies aside,” he said.
The early morning walk helped them unwind and discuss the issues facing them openly. The police personnel even volunteered to give valuable suggestions to achieve the desired objective of making them more people and tourist-friendly, Mr. Amathe said. The session on sensitising traffic police in Mysuru city comes in the backdrop of complaints that the police personnel are found wanting in their duties and behaving rudely with the public. The traffic police are often blamed for doing little to manage traffic at the junctions they are posted.
The session on sensitising the police personnel was part of “Operation Swan” that the city police had taken up for their welfare. More such programmes, including health camps and de-addiction camps, will be held in the coming days. “These programmes are aimed at keeping the police force motivated so that they perform their duties more efficiently,” Mr. Amathe said.
