PATIALA: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday said that in order to deftly maintain law and order in the state, the number of personnel in the Punjab Police will for the first time cross the figure of one lakh as the state government has embarked on a massive recruitment drive for it.
Addressing the gathering during the launch of six-day Certified Investigator Course for Punjab Police investigation officers, the Chief Minister said that in the year 2000, the strength of Punjab Police was 80, 000, and it remains almost the same even today. He said that this despite the fact the challenges and problems faced by the Punjab Police has enhanced manifolds adding he bemoaned that none of the successive governments had ever bothered about this thing. However, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this number will be enhanced soon as the state government is already carrying on massive recruitment drives in the state adding the number will soon touch one lakh.
The Chief Minister said that today a new and significant initiative is being undertaken today and a total of 730 investigating officers will participate in this six-day training workshop. He said that detailed information will be shared about taking strict action against drug traffickers and smugglers under the NDPS Act. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that it is essential to train police officers to deal with criminals who are adopting new and advanced techniques.
The Chief Minister said that in the past, traffickers were arrested, but they often managed to escape punishment by taking advantage of legal loopholes. Likewise, he said that earlier there used to be heavy political interference, which helped traffickers get released, but now such interference has completely ended. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government is also in close coordination with the Central Government and with the enforcement of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) replacing the IPC, several legal procedures have changed, making this training even more important.
The Chief Minister said that preservation of evidence and staying updated with the evolving legal framework are now essential responsibilities of the officers for which they need to be equipped with emerging techniques. He said that although investigating officers perform their duties with sincerity, sometimes the accused escape conviction by exploiting legal technicalities and the blame comes on the police. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the Police have been given a free hand to act against the criminals and lawbreakers adding that no one will be allowed to take the law in their own hands.