Services of retiring cops extended till May 31 in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered extension of services of all retiring police personnel and home guards by two months to strengthen citizen outreach on the ground.

Further, to ease pressure on the police force, around 1,300 cops have been judiciously withdrawn from VVIP duty, including a significant number from the CM's security, to join the battle in the COVID-19 lockdown on the ground, a state government release said here.

As many as 44,546 cops have been deployed in the field as of now to enforce curfew restrictions and conduct relief operations, it said.

Meanwhile, DGP Dinkar Gupta said 107 FIRs were registered for violation of curfew/home quarantine restrictions in the state on Tuesday and 132 people arrested.

The chief minister had earlier authorized the DGP to pull out any number of police personnel from VVIP duty for deployment in the coronavirus crisis management.

Expressing concerns over the welfare and the morale of thousands of policemen performing field duties without rest or relief over the past several days, Singh had directed mobilisation of maximum police force through withdrawal from security duties.

The DGP said further withdrawals would be made based on evaluation of the threat scenario and through graded reduction.

He said due care was being taken to deploy police personnel in their home districts as far as possible.

To boost the morale of the frontline workers, Amarinder Singh reached out to doctors, police and administrative officials working in the field and spoke to many of them during the day.

He assured them of the state government's full support in the war against this unprecedented crisis.