News: RWAs in Gurgaon oppose order to keep gates open-02-04-2021
RWAs in Gurgaon oppose order to keep gates open
Gurgaon: Citing safety concerns, several RWAs in the city have expressed their displeasure with Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran’s (HSVP) directions to keep colony gates open.
Earlier this month, HSVP directed RWAs to keep all entry gates open from 5am to 11pm from March 1 to October 30 and 6am to 10pm from November 1 to February 28. It also directed that one gate should remain open at night also, under the watch of guards. The authority also made it clear that either gates on internal roads should remain open or be dismantled so that they don’t cause any hindrance to people’s movement.
However, the decision has not gone down well with the RWAs, who claim it would compromise with the safety and security of the residents.
“This is really sad on part of HSVP to issue such directives instead of making sectors secure. An unauthorised colony is close to our sector and many commercial vehicles use it as a thoroughfare. We hire security guards through voluntary funds. The RWA doesn’t have resources to hire security guards who can be deputed at all gates,” said Udayvir Singh Yadav, RWA president of Sector 10A.
The residents pointed out that these sectors have open access from everywhere and the boundary walls are broken and almost non-existent at many spots, which cause a major security concern for them. They further claim that gates which are installed on the internal roads have somewhat instilled a sense of security in them but the decision to keep them open 24X7 could increase crime manifold in the sectors.
Lalit Suraj Bhola, general secretary of Sector 9A RWA, said, “HSVP has not done fencing or built any boundary wall in the sector. Therefore, putting up gates on the main entrance makes no sense as anyone can enter from anywhere. The gates on internal roads are the bare minimum security we have, so HSVP should first give us a boundary wall before telling us to remove the internal security gates.”
However, when contacted, Vikas Dhanda, estate officer-1 of HSVP, said the directions were issued in the wake of several complaints from residents about the closure of gates. “We have a policy to regularise the main entrance gates. However, gates on internal roads are not allowed and should remain open. If there are any security concerns, then the RWA should give us an undertaking that all residents in that sector are okay with the closure.”
