Challenges in border districts not new, says SSP (Rural) Maninder Singh
The newly appointed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar (Rural), Maninder Singh (IPS), is not new to challenges that postings in the border districts bring along.
Earlier, he was posted as Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Amritsar city police commissionerate and also worked on the post of Superintendent of Police in adjoining Tarn Taran district before he was deputed as aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Punjab Governor.
The two border districts — Amritsar and Tarn Taran — have remained the hotspot of smuggling large quantity of contraband and weapons from across the international border (IB). Maximum numbers of drones shot down by the BSF are in these two districts.
Maninder Singh today assumed charge as the SSP, Amritsar (Rural) replacing Charanjit Singh, who was shifted as AIG (Intelligence) in Mohali. The police presented a guard of honour at the Amritsar Rural Police Lines in Daburji before the SSP joined the office. He also held a meeting with officials of the rural police.
Apart from drone activities another major challenge, which the new SSP would face, is the recent spurt in blasts at the police establishments unleashed by ISI-sponsored foreign-based-gangster- turned terrorists Happy Passia, Lakhbir Singh Landa Harike, Mann Ghanshampuria, Jeewan Fauji and Pakistan-based Harwinder Singh Rinda.
Since November 23, Punjab has witnessed around 11 such blasts wherein the police arrested operatives of foreign-based terrorists. Till now, the police have failed to find any solution to stop these attacks.
Talking to The Tribune, the SSP emphasised on the community participation in policing.
He pointed out that the experiment of constituting Village Defence Committees (VDCs) had given exceptional results as far nailing drug peddlers in the border areas was concerned. Seizure of large number of drones and drugs by the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police were only because of the active participation of these VDCs, the SSP said. He said soon he would meet VDCs and also work for their strengthening in order to get concrete results.
“Policing is not just responsibility of the police force alone. It requires collective efforts of both the administration and the public. I will encourage citizens to support us in building a crime-free society,” the SSP said.
“The safety and well-being of our citizens are of paramount importance. I pledge to work tirelessly towards a secure and peaceful society,” the SSP said. He also assured transparency and swift grievance redressal, while adding that every complaint would be addressed with fairness and urgency.
“My doors will always be open to those seeking justice. My team will ensure prompt action on public concerns,” he added.
