Latest news with #Borase
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Our goal is to cut daily travel time of commuters: Top cop
Belagavi: The volume of fines collected from traffic violators is not a measure of our efficiency. For me, reducing public travel time is the real priority, said Bhushan Borase, commissioner of Belagavi City police. Speaking at a media interaction organised by Belagavi Print Media Association at Vartha Bhavan on Wednesday, Borase said it's traffic regulation and not revenue collection that is his focus. Since taking charge a month ago, he redirected 90% of traffic police from fine collection duties to enforcement and traffic management. "The govt hasn't given us any targets for fine collection. If we can save 10 minutes daily of a citizen's travel time, that's significant, and that's our goal," he added. Borase also highlighted changes brought to the fine collection process for the convenience of the public. "Now, violators receive a message on WhatsApp followed by a formal notice. Earlier, they had to visit police stations to pay fines. Now, they can pay at Belagavi One centres," he said. Infra and traffic flow The commissioner cited potholes as a major cause of traffic slowdown in Belagavi. "The city has roads maintained by the NHAI, PWD, BCC, and Cantonment Board. We have written to all relevant authorities to urgently address the issue and are awaiting responses," Borase stated. He also revealed that nearly 4,000 trucks move in and out of the city daily. To decongest the roads, police have now fixed specific timings for truck movement, especially during peak hours. Borase said the city is collaborating with the Bengaluru police consultancy service to conduct a comprehensive traffic survey for short, medium, and long-term planning. "We are also consulting bus, truck, and auto drivers before implementing any new measures," the commissioner noted. Meanwhile, the officer urged people to share their suggestions and feedback on: "The department is focusing on increasing the number of paid parking areas across the city." Narcotics crackdown Addressing the growing concern of drug abuse in Belagavi, Borase admitted that the efforts so far are inadequate. "What we are doing is not even 1%. When both buyer and seller are in agreement, it becomes difficult to trace. If we raid one place, they shift to another. Today, transactions happen via the darknet and e-commerce sites. There is a long way to go," he said.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Time of India
New police commissioner steps up crime control, streamlines traffic management
Belagavi: Since taking charge a month ago, Belagavi city police commissioner Bhushan Borase has launched a series of initiatives aimed at curbing crime and improving traffic management in the city. The results are already becoming evident. Under commissioner Borase's leadership, the police intensified crackdowns on drug peddlers, matka bookies, and illegal gamblers. Habitual offenders were warned of stringent action, including the invocation of the Goonda Act or potential exile from the district. Statistics reveal a significant surge in enforcement activity since Jan this year, particularly over the past month. Police conducted 20 raids targeting drug peddlers since Jan, with the majority taking place in the last 30 days, resulting in 41 arrests. Additionally, 23 individuals were apprehended in narcotic drug consumption cases during the same period. Notably, the number of raids in the past month is the highest recorded in the last three years, as compared to 25 raids in 2024 and 23 in 2023. Similarly, 95 cases against matka bookies and gamblers were registered in Belagavi police stations since Jan, leading to the arrest of 256 individuals. Most of these cases were also filed within the past month. In comparison, 123 cases were registered in 2023 and 124 in 2024, with total arrests numbering 411 and 326 respectively. Speaking to the TOI, commissioner Borase said, "This is not a one or two-month activity. We will persistently trace those involved in illegal activities such as narcotic drug peddling, matka, gambling, and more." In a significant overhaul of traffic enforcement, Borase reduced the number of personnel involved in penalising traffic violators by 90%, replacing them with advanced technology. For over a week now, the police have utilised CCTV cameras, body-worn cameras, and smartphones to capture traffic violations. Penalty challans are digitally sent to offenders, streamlining the process and reducing human intervention. The staff previously assigned for fine collection have been redeployed to focus on traffic management duties, marking a major shift. "I urge the people of Belagavi to support the police department as we work towards a safer and better-managed city," the officer said.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Belagavi police shift focus to traffic regulation, adopt tech-based enforcement
Belagavi: In a major initiative to streamline traffic, Belagavi City Police redeployed 90% of its personnel from penalising traffic violators to managing traffic flow across the city. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The move aims to address growing public concerns over poor traffic regulation due to police personnel being preoccupied with issuing penalties. City police commissioner Bhushan Borase, in an official video statement, announced that the enforcement of traffic rules will now rely heavily on technology. "Instead of stopping vehicles on the road, we will use CCTV cameras installed under the Smart City project across the city, body-worn cameras, and mobile phones to capture violations. Penalty challans will be sent directly to the vehicle owner's WhatsApp number or via SMS digitally," he explained. Borase emphasised that police officers who were earlier focused on penalising riders without helmets or drivers without seatbelts will now be tasked with traffic management duties at key junctions to ease congestion. Addressing another civic concern, the commissioner said the department wrote to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD), and Belagavi City Corporation (BCC), urging them to promptly repair pothole-ridden roads, which are hindering smooth traffic movement. He also appealed to citizens to support the initiative by following basic safety norms such as wearing helmets and fastening seatbelts.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Time of India
Govt transfers religious book burning case to CID
Belagavi: The state govt has transferred the case of alleged burning of Quran, stolen from a mosque in Santibastawad village, on the outskirts of Belagavi, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident occurred on May 11. Addressing the media here on Sunday, Belagavi' new police commissioner, Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, said the case of alleged burning of the holy book in Santibastawad village was handed over to the CID for further investigation. "Considering the sensitivity, the case was transferred to the CID, and I have instructed the officials to hand over the documents to the CID. We will cooperate with the CID officials and find the accused at the earliest," said Borase. He also assured of increasing police patrolling in rural areas of the city to prevent crime. On May 11, tensions arose in Santibastawad after unidentified miscreants reportedly stole and burned religious books from a mosque under construction. One copy of the Quran and two Hadit books were allegedly stolen from the mosque and found burnt in a nearby field the next day. Five special teams were formed to investigate the alleged desecration, but police are yet to nab the accused. Protests erupted in Belagavi seeking immediate action and the arrest of those responsible.
