Punjab Cabinet flays Gurdaspur terror attack, lauds state police

Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 3

The Punjab Cabinet on Monday condemned the terror attack on a police station at Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district and appreciated the role of the Punjab Police in killing the terrorists.

Three terrorists were shot dead in a day-long gunfight after they stormed the police station last Monday. Seven persons, including a SP, were killed in the attack.

The issue of giving promotions to the policemen, who fought in the operation and compensation and jobs to families of martyrs, was also discussed.

The Cabinet approved amendments in the Intelligence rule, so that a separate Intelligence bureau could be set up in the state.

This was done to ensure enough intelligence gathering in wake of the threat looming over the launch of “K2 (Kashmir-Khalistan) agenda” by Pakistan.   

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the police were investigating the terror attack and the government was equipped to deal with any threat from fringe elements.

The Cabinet also cleared changes in parole rules for prisoners The Good Conduct of Prisoners Act. The Cabinet has deferred taking decision on the water metering policy for smaller houses (less than five marlas) to pay fixed service charges, while it created slabs of all houses for paying water user charges.

Earlier, these houses were exempted from paying. The OTS (one-time settlement) scheme for defaulters of PSIDC was also approved by the Cabinet.
The Punjab Protection of Interest of Depositors Act, which lays the rules for regulating the fly by night investment companies, was also approved.