E-Paper
Pathankot grenade blast: Strengthen second line of defence along Pakistan border, says Randhawa
During a meeting, deputy CM Randhawa directed the officials to strengthen the second line of defence along the India-Pakistan border
A day after the grenade blast in Pathankot, Punjab deputy CM and home minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa presided over a high-level meeting of police officials in Amritsar and issued directions to intensify night patrolling to tackle activities of anti-social elements.
During the meeting, the minister directed the officials to strengthen the second line of defence along the India-Pakistan border. The threat of drones, which are being used by the anti-national elements of the neighbouring country to smuggle arms, ammunition and drugs into the Indian territory, was also discussed at the meeting, said an official, who was part of the meeting.
Randhawa said he has ordered a probe to find lapses behind passing on late information of the Pathankot blast to him and senior police officials. He said the area where the blast took place is without the streetlights. “I have asked officials of Pathankot district administration to arrange adequate lighting in the area, besides installing CCTV cameras,” he said.
On Monday morning, a grenade blast took place near Triveni Gate in the cantonment area of Pathankot, sending security agencies into a tizzy.
Randhawa said his government has made a plan of installing CCTV cameras in cities as well as in villages and ₹75 crore already been released in this regard.
He also directed all station house officers (SHOs) to be present at their headquarters 24x7 and strict action will be taken if anyone is found to be absent.
Director general of police Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota and the senior police officials of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Jalandhar districts were present at the meeting.
