Punjab police stations are also becoming car graveyards. There are an astonishing 35,323 vehicles, either impounded in cases or abandoned unclaimed, strewn all over police yards in the state. A paltry fewer than 6,000 vehicles have been disposed of since May, when the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed speedy action.
The court had acted after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) earlier this year had complained about the dismal condition of cars accumulating in police compounds. As per the orders, police had initiated a special disposal drive in mid-May. But the pace has been slow, and only 5,667 vehicles have been returned to owners, auctioned or wrecked till now. This still leaves behind a huge 23,733 vehicles jamming police yards across Punjab.
Among all the districts, Ludhiana leads the pack, with a staggering 7,039 vehicles decaying in police stations, the state's biggest "vehicle graveyard."
Acoording to Indian Express news report, PIL mover Advocate Kanwar Pahul Singh issued a warning that the speed of clearance is much too slow to have any real impact. He emphasized that only consistent public and judicial pressure will force the police to speed up the process of disposal.
Meanwhile, the issue just keeps mounting, with police stations weighed down by rusted cars, scarce parking space, and judicial impediments that are slowing the clean-up.