Following Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s directives, Punjab Police on Thursday withdrew 6,355 personnel from non-core duties to create Covid-19 reserves and reinforce its field force at police stations and in the armed battalions.
While 202 Covid-19 reserves have been created in police stations across districts, another 20 have been constituted in the armed battalions, to improve operational readiness for enforcement of the various safety norms and protocols in place in the state.
The decision was taken during the Covid-19 review meeting chaired by CM Captain Amarinder Singh. DGP Dinkar Gupta said, “ The manpower mobilisation exercise was undertaken from 17 July, and as of 23 July, 3669 personnel were part of the 202 Covid-19 reserves in districts while 475 were in the Covid-19 reserves of the Armed Battalions.” According to the DGP, the diversion of force has been done from non-core police duties at district police offices, police lines, saanjh kendras, those attached with police/civil officers and threatened persons, and officials on temporary attachment with other units.
Post the exercise, additional 1,800 police personnel have been mobilised at the police stations, across the ranks of constable to inspector.
The additional personnel deployment, in addition to 475 in the Covid-19 reserves, has been made at Shambhu Barrier (118).