One blessing followed by another

With the help of police, Guntipally villagers sort out their disputes and get a bus service to the village too

Gajwel police personnel discussing with villagers the further changes to be made at the blind curve, in Guntipally of Medak district.

When the residents of Guntipally agreed to help make the village crime free, they thought they would at most get a pat on their back from authorities. Little did they know that this would help them realise their 20 year dream of getting a bus service to the village.

Located 55 kilometres from Hyderabad, Guntipally has become yet another success story of community policing.

The residents were desperate for access to public transport to reach the Siddipet-Hyderabad highway. One had to use their own vehicles or walk 5 km to reach the highway. “From there, we catch a bus or auto-rickshaw to reach Gajwel or Hyderabad. Students going to schools or colleges and patients visiting hospitals were the worst affected,” said Yellam, the husband of Guntipally sarpanch Laxmi.

For 20 years, the residents had been pleading with officials and public representatives at every level for access to public transport to the village. The approach road leading to the village had a steep curve with a huge well abutting it.

“Citing that negotiating the curve was difficult for bus drivers, RTC officials rejected the idea,” said MPTC member Kondal Reddy. RTC authorities expressed apprehension that the bus might fall into the well at the curve because of the narrow road.

However, conceding to the villagers’ requests, RTC sent a bus six months ago on trial basis but dropped the service the next day as the road was too narrow at the curve. “We thought our dream of public transport was over. But, opportunity knocked on our door when the police approached us,” Mr. Yellam said.

Gajwel Assistant Commissioner of Police R. Giridhar and Inspector Satish visited Guntipally a few days ago seeking the villagers’ cooperation to make it crime-free. “There were six cases reported in the village. Five of them were assault due to property dispute. With discussions and persuasion, all the litigants agreed to solve their disputes,” Mr. Giridhar said.

When the officials asked if there was anything the villagers wanted from them or the government, they unanimously said they needed a bus to reach the highway. They consulted RTC officials and learnt that the huge well abutting the curve was the obstacle.

The police filled the well with mud taking the help of local contractors, also widening the curve near it. And, the service began, with one trip in the morning and another in the evening.