Gaya: As IPS officer Vikas Vaibhav is set to assume charge as IG, Magadh range, he faces a host of challenges in what is considered one of the toughest field assignments in the state. In a social media post, Vikas expressed happiness over getting a field posting after a gap of six years and promised to prove equal to the task.The Magadh range comprises five districts and has 107 police stations, according to available figures. Gaya district alone, which also serves as the headquarters of the Range IG, has the highest number of police stations at 46. Arwal district has the lowest number with 11 police stations.According to retired IG MA Kazmi, policing in the Magadh Range remains extremely challenging on any given day. Kazmi, a former SP of Aurangabad district, said though Maoism has virtually faded away and no longer poses the kind of challenge it did nearly a decade ago, several other serious issues have emerged and continue to keep the police administration on its toes.Experts believe the operations of the sand mafia currently pose the most serious challenge before the police administration. The mafia is believed to possess considerable muscle and firepower and has attacked police teams on dozens of occasions, causing injuries to personnel and damage to police vehicles.Only a couple of weeks ago, around half a dozen police personnel were injured and a police vehicle was damaged during an attack by members of the sand mafia engaged in illegal mining. Most of the questionable sand mining activities are carried out in the Falgu and Morhar rivers in the region.Sources believe a strong administrative will is required to rein in the sand mafia as its members are believed to enjoy high-level political patronage. Many of them are also associated with different political parties and participate in electoral politics either as vote mobilisers or active contestants.Incidents of burglary, robbery and snatching have also increased in recent times and several such audacious crimes have taken place in broad daylight at unexpected locations. More intensive patrolling, a higher level of alertness and prompt punitive as well as preventive measures are being seen as necessary to control the situation.Traffic congestion remains another major concern affecting common people, said Arun Kumar Prasad, former principal of a postgraduate college. He expressed hope the new IG would address issues such as blatant violations of traffic rules, underage driving, serpentine driving, wrong-side driving and reckless overtaking.
