8,620 cops deployed to ensure smooth harvesting, procurement

Director general of police says the police personnel have been provided with face masks, gloves, hand sanitisers etc and also briefed about their proper usage

The Punjab government has deployed 8,620 police personnel and 6,483 volunteers for round-the-clock vigil at mandis and villages to ensure smooth procurement amid the Covid-19 crisis, with stringent guidelines for their own protection and strict enforcement of health and sanitation protocols.

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Director general of police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said as part of the two-pronged strategy, the frontline police personnel on duty at the mandis have been equipped to protect the farmers and others coming to these centres, while also ensuring their own safety.

“The police personnel have been provided with face masks, gloves, hand sanitisers etc and also briefed about their proper usage,” he said in a statement.

The cops deployed in various mandis have been asked to ensure checking at all entry/exit points, traffic flow and de-congestion of roads leading up to the mandis/sub-yards/purchase centres, besides ensuring law and order and proper flow of people and vehicular movement. Gupta said police personnel have also been directed to ensure that combine harvesters do not operate at night after 7pm, and to allow only one trolley with one person having a valid coupon at the entry point of the village to go to the mandi.