Rural police to get over 600 hi-tech vehicles today

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 30

The much-hyped project of the state government to strengthen the rural patrolling with a motive to decrease the response time is all set to be launched in the state on Friday.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Director General of Police Suresh Arora will flag-off over 600 vehicles, including 225 four wheelers (Bolero) and around 400 motorcycles. All these vehicles have been stationed at Punjab Armed Police (PAP) headquarters in Jalandhar.

Confirming this, a senior police official said the project was launched to tackle the rising crime in rural areas. With the distribution of vehicles to the rural police of all districts, the patrolling would get a fillip.

Sources said it was an initiative of the state government to empower the state police with the launch of Rapid Rural Police Response System (RRPRS). In the past, former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini had claimed to implement the system by the end of October in 2012 but it got delayed for over three and half years. The DGP had then said that once the system was operational, Punjab would become the first state of the country to launch the Rural Response System.

The project was envisioned by the Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and presented it as unique model of intensive police patrolling. Its purpose was to reduce the distress calls in rural area and timely response by the police to any untoward incident.

Sources said, “In future, these vehicles will also be equipped with the GPS system and CCTV cameras.”