Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday lauded the efforts of the Punjab Police and intelligence agencies in cracking down on criminals and organised gangs and offered all support of the central government in dealing with such elements.Rajnath congratulated Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for his government's success against gangsters and criminals in the state, particularly in the context of the recent gunning down of most wanted gangster Vicky Gounder in an encounter with the Punjab Police.Rajnath extended his appreciation during a luncheon meeting with Punjab Governor V.P.S. Badnore and Amarinder here.The Minister was on a one-day visit to Chandigarh.The meeting focused on matters related to internal security, with thrust in cooperation between the centre and the state to maintain peace and stability in the region, an official spokesperson said after the meeting.
Underlining the need for modernization of the state police force to meet the prevailing challenges, the Chief Minister sought from the Home Minister a Rs 50 crore grant for the same."He (Amarinder) also reiterated his earlier request for two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to replace IRB in Punjab's prisons, where his government has already initiated sweeping reforms," the spokesperson said.The Chief Minister stressed that as a sensitive border state, Punjab needed a high level of security network, with a modern police force and fool-proof security in jails.Earlier, Rajnath inaugurated the new Sarai building of the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here.