Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has directed the Punjab Police to be vigilant against radicalization campaigns being carried out on various social media platforms such as Facebook, and also called for greater vigilance along the Indo-Pak Border as the infiltration activity moves southwards once the Passes close due to inclement winter weather in the region.Chairing a high-level meeting to review the crime and law & order situation in the state, the Chief Minister said prevention of terrorist crime was his government’s top priority agenda and ordered all SSPs and CPs to lead from the front in combating such threats to Punjab’s peace and stability.The Chief Minister ordered all-out efforts on the part of the police to trace previous undetected cases in a time-bound manner, especially the Maur bomb blast in Bathinda (31st January), murder of Chand Kaur (Bhaini Sahib) and attack on Dhadrianwale in Ludhiana.Even as he asked the police officials to tighten their belts in dealing with militancy and crime in the state, the Chief Minister issued a strong warning to them against any failure to give respect and due courtesy to MLAs & other elected functionaries. He said he had received complaints from various districts in this regard and would not allow the position of the elected representatives to be undermined in any manner.
At the same time, the Chief Minister also called for maintaining the respect for police uniform and authority, while underlining the need for open interaction between field level police officers and the senior government officers at the headquarters.Emphasising his government’s zero-tolerance approach to handling cases of sacrilege, the Chief Minister said any attempt to disturb the state’s communal harmony would be strictly dealt with. Deputy Commissioners and CPs/SSPs would be held responsible for any incidents of sacrilege in their respective areas, he said, directing them to have CCTV cameras installed immediately through community participation and engagement, and to ensure custody management of sacred religious books where no CCTV cameras are installed.The Chief Minister also sent out a strong signal to the police against indulging in any act of corruption, and reiterated that his government was committed to providing clean and transparent governance to the people of the state.Captain Amarinder also instructed the police officials to tighten the noose around drug smugglers and traders, especially the big fish. Police Commissioners, Senior Superintendents of Police, Sub-Divisional Police Officers (DSP Sub-Division) and SHOs would be held directly accountable for supply & sale of drugs in their jurisdiction, he said.The Chief Minister stressed that all CPs and SSPs must lead from the front and carry out raids under their personal supervision against terrorist/militant elements and drug smugglers/traders. Pointing out that there had been complaints of corruption against field officers of various ranks, including DSP and SHOs, even in handling of drug cases in the past, which is non-pardonable. Swift and severe punishment would follow if any such case comes to notice in the future, he warned.
Taking cognizance of the criminal activities taking place in prisons, the Chief Minister ordered tightening of control over jails through technology etc. to stop communication and prevent such activities. He also called for revision of jail manuals and jail rules.He instructed the officials to take firm action against gangsters and stern steps to control petty street crime, such as snatchings etc, in order to instill a sense of safety and confidence among the citizens of Punjab.In line with his government’s focus on eliminating the VIP culture and promoting police welfare, the Chief Minister called for ending the practice of route-lining etc. during VIP security duties and asked the officials to limit the working hours of cops and operationalise a system for giving one-weekly off. It was important to keep the morale of the police force high at all times, he said.Captain Amarinder Singh ordered the process of building of well-equipped District Administrative Complexes in different districts to be expedited and also instructed the Home Department to build a statewide Arms Database and also for Arms Dealers, in order to monitor the supply and inventory of Arms & ammunition.The Chief Minister also issued orders for transfer of lands to Police Department for Police Lines in different districts, especially in Pathankot, Batala, and Moga.He instructed the officials to take firm action against gangsters and stern steps to control petty street crime, such as snatchings etc, in order to instill a sense of safety and confidence among the citizens of Punjab.Making it clear that CPs and SSPs would be held accountable for performance regarding each priority area, the Chief Minister said road safety and prevention of fatal and serious injury road accidents as another priority area of his government. The meeting was attended, among others, by DGP Suresh Arora, DGP Intelligence Dinkar Gupta, DGP Law & Order HS Dhillon, besides SSPs and CPs of all the districts.