From busting criminal networks to improving police infrastructure, the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has a lot to boast of in terms of achievements in the last two years, but there is a lot to be desired when it comes to making the common feel safe.
While the Punjab Police’s anti-gangster task force (AGTF) claims to have busted 338 criminal modules, arrested 1,013 gangsters, neutralised 11, crimes such as snatchings and robberies continue to remain an everyday affair.
Dealing a severe blow to the drug nexus in the state, the Punjab Police claims to have arrested a record number of drug smugglers (32,801) and made huge drug hauls – seizing a whopping 2,044kg heroin, 1,966kg opium, 2,304kg ganja, 937 quintals of poppy husk, and 1.57 crores tablets, capsules, injections, vials of pharma opioids, but the frequent drug overdose deaths in the state tell a different story.
On the infrastructure end, the Punjab government seems to have delivered. It has successfully upgraded the vehicles allotted to station house officers, replacing the Boleros with Scorpios. Another much-lauded initiative of the Punjab government was the setting up of the Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF), a first-of its-kind force in the country, which is deployed on highways and major roads, and provides emergency response in case of accidents and also chases down criminals trying to escape via these routes. The force is equipped with high-end vehicles such as Isuzu Hi-Landers, KIA Carens and Tata Tiago EV.
Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said, “Apart from focus on modernisation of police, the war on drugs has been a priority for this government. The record-high drug seizures and arrests of gangsters are testimony to the fact that this government to serious on law-and-order.”
{{/usCountry}}Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said, “Apart from focus on modernisation of police, the war on drugs has been a priority for this government. The record-high drug seizures and arrests of gangsters are testimony to the fact that this government to serious on law-and-order.”
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