Captain Amarinder Orders Extension In Service For Retiring Punjab Cops Till May 31 To Strengthen Battle Against Covid-19

Also Permits Dgp To Pull Out Cops On Cm & Vvip Security For Ground Deployment, Around 1300 Personnel Withdrawn So Far

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh 31-Mar-2020

Amid the continuing curfew/lockdown in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder on Tuesday ordered extension in the services of all retiring Police personnel  and Home Guards by two months, to strengthen the citizen outreach on the ground.Further, to ease the pressure on the police force, of whom 44,546 were in the field  today to enforce restrictions and conduct relief operations on war footing, around 1300 cops have been judiciously withdrawn from VVIP duty, including a significant  number from CM security, to join the battle in the COVID-19 lockdown on the ground. Captain Amarinder had earlier authorized DGP Dinkar Gupta to pull out any number  of police personnel from his (Chief Minister’s) personal security, or that of other VIP protectees, for deployment for COVID-19 crisis management, as he may deem fit.  Expressing concern about the welfare and morale of thousands of  police personnel, who had been performing field duties without rest or relief, over the past several  days, the Chief Minister had directed mobilization of maximum police force through withdrawal from security duties.The DGP said further withdrawals would be made  based on evaluation of the threat scenario, which was in progress, and through graded reduction. More security persons from district force and Armed Battalions will be  withdrawn and organized into reserves, he said, adding that extensive mobilisation of the force had been planned and will be undertaken in a phased manner. The DGP  said due care was being taken to deploy the police personnel in their home districts as far as possible.The Chief Minister, who is personally monitoring and reviewing the  COVID and curfew related situation on a day-to-day basis, has also asked the police and civil administration to ensure all steps to protect and provide for the homeless  and the migrant labour stranded in Punjab due to the sudden lockdown. 

In this connection, he spoke to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and apprised him of the arrangements being made for such migrants from Bihar. Captain Amarinder also  asked Nitish to assure the families of these migrants back in Bihar that they were being fully looked after by Punjab and Punjabis during these testing times.To boost the  morale of the frontline workers, Captain Amarinder continued to reach out to the doctors, police and administrative officials working in the field and personally spoke to  several of them during the day. He assured them of the state government’s full support in their war against this unprecedented crisis.Meanwhile, in its notification, the  Department of Home Affairs & Justice said that as a one-time measure, taken in view of the emergent situation due to spread of COVID-19, the “uniformed personnel of  Police and Punjab Home Guards working with the Government of Punjab shall continue to work irrespective of their date of retirement till 31.05.2020.” These orders  would also apply to Officers/Officials whose retirement orders stand issued, said the notification, adding that “these employees would not be eligible for any promotion or  additional perks during their extended period.”The step was necessitated to cope with the emergency situation triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent  lockdown, an official spokesperson said. The state government had earlier given extensions in service to retiring doctors & health staff, as well as sanitation  workers.According to DGP Dinkar Gupta, a total of 107 FIRs were registered today for violation of curfew/home quarantine restrictions and 132 persons were arrested.  The police personnel on duty have strict instructions to enforce the restrictions in a sensitive manner, he said.

The police teams across districts also continued with the relief operations, reaching out to the needy and poor with rations and other essentials. A total of 1.42 crore  cooked and dry meals were distributed among those in need, including migrants, construction workers, daily wagers and others who have no access to resources in  these testing times, said the DGP.In a morale-boosting precautionary measure, Patiala Police Lines Doctor Sajilla Khan, along with her staff members, today visited the  police nakas and screened the police personnel on duty there with the help of a thermal scanner. The DGP said the police personnel, who are frontline warriors in the  battle against COVID-19, are being regularly made aware of precautions needed to be taken while on duty and during travel, as also at home.In the meantime, more and  more organisations are extending support to the state government in its fight against the present crisis. After Radha Saomi Satsang Beas and Sant Niranakari Mission,  the head Namdhari Sect, Satguru Sri Uday Singh, has now offered to the state government all support and cooperation in its battle against COVID-19. The Chief Minister  thanked the Satguru for the support extended by them to the Ludhiana Civil and Police administration in providing and serving langar prepared at Sri Bhaini Sahib daily to  the needy and poor, along with sanitisers to the people in the villages nearby. The Namdahri Dera on Rahon Road village Sasrali is also preparing and providing Langar  to the poor in its nearby villages besides spraying to maintain public hygiene and sanitation. Apart from these, packets of dry ration are also being distributed amongst  hundreds of people residing in rural and slum areas of Sangrur district by Namdhari Shaheed Samarak, Malerkotla.