Police force being equipped with best infrastructure facilities: Punjab CM
Phillaur (Punjab): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said his government is equipping the state police force with the best infrastructural facilities and modernising it on scientific lines to enable it to tackle the law and order situation effectively.
He was addressing a gathering in Phillaur in Jalandhar after flagging off 139 new vehicles for police stations across the state.
Mann said this is contrary to earlier trends when the new vehicles were given to the top officers instead of those at the grassroots level.
Mann said the station house officers (SHOs) are the real face of the police force as they are directly connected with people and have a huge responsibility of maintaining law and order.
Being a border state, a number of forces inimical to the state have been chalking out nefarious designs to disturb the hard-earned peace of the state but the Punjab Police has always foiled such attempts, he noted.
To further overcome major challenges faced by the state, it was imperative that the police force was updated according to advanced requirements in the field of investigation, science and technology, he said.
Mann expressed the hope that the Punjab Police would uphold the glorious legacy of serving people with utmost professional commitment.
The chief minister said 70 per cent of the drugs are smuggled from Pakistan via drones and are subsequently supplied in the state.
The state government has joined hands with the Border Security Force (BSF) by launching anti-drone technology to check the movement of drones.
Due to concerted efforts of the state government, drug smuggling has reduced drastically as a report of BSF has indicated a decline in cross-border consignments due to strict enforcement, he said.
Mann said the state government has already decided to recruit 1,800 constables and 300 sub-inspectors every year in the Punjab Police to overcome shortage of cops.
As for these 2,100 posts every year, around 2.50 lakh candidates apply for these posts so all the aspirants will get involved in academics as well as in improving their physique for clearing the tests, he said.
Mann said this was helping in channelising their unbounded energy in a positive direction and helping them wean away from the menace of drugs.
The CM said the state government had launched a major crackdown against drugs in Punjab to break the backbone of the menace.
The state government had already snapped the supply line of drugs and big fish involved in this heinous crime have been put behind the bars, he said.
Mann said for the first time, properties of drug smugglers acquired illegally are being destroyed or confiscated so that it acts as a deterrent for others.
