ITANAGAR, 16 Sep: The Itanagar Traffic Warden (ITW) suspended its indefinite dharna on Tuesday on account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state capital on 22 September.
The members of the ITW had on Monday staged a protest at IG Park. They later suspended their protest, but none has resumed duties. There are 150 traffic wardens in the Itanagar Capital Region, who manage traffic in Itanagar, Naharlagun, Yupia, and Nirjuli.
The ITW is demanding absorption of traffic wardens into the Home Guards (Group C ministerial, non-gazetted), based on the 12 June order issued by Home Principal Secretary Kaling Tayeng.
Two letters have already been submitted to the director general of police by the ITW, seeking immediate absorption of 150 traffic wardens into the Home Guards under the Home Department. The memorandum was submitted on 22 July and 8 September, following the June order.
The memorandum stated that 145 traffic wardens have been deployed under the Itanagar traffic SP since 2017, and that they have already undergone training at the Police Training Centre in Banderdewa. It stated that the ITW comes under the purview of the Arunachal Pradesh Home Guards Rules, 2023, to be enrolled into the Home Guards.
Speaking to this daily, a traffic warden informed that on 31 August, 2021, the then chief secretary Naresh Kumar had verbally directed closure of the ITW, following a bandh call over the regularization of traffic wardens’ jobs.
