Punjab Govt readies Covid force as cases spike

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 23

Acting on the Chief Minister’s directives, the Punjab Police have withdrawn 6,355 personnel from non-core duties to create Covid reserves and reinforce its field force at police stations and in the armed battalions.

While 202 Covid 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 various safety norms and protocols in the state.

Care centres in bad shape: AAP

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, expressed concern over the “poor condition” of Covid care centres in the state. He alleged that due to the incompetence and inept handling of the situation, the government-run centres were rather unsafe for patients. In a statement, Cheema claimed the Covid care centres in Bathinda, Mansa and Sanghera (Barnala) were in a pitiable condition.

The manpower mobilisation exercise was undertaken from July 17 onwards, and as of July 23, 3,669 personnel were part of the 202 reserves in districts, while 475 were in the reserves of the armed battalions, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.

The diversion of force has been done from non-core police duties at district police offices, police lines, saanjh kendras, those attached with police and civil officers and officials on temporary attachment with other units.

During a Covid review video-conference meeting chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the DGP said post the exercise, an additional 1,800 police personnel had been mobilised at the police stations across the ranks of constable to inspector. Expressing concern over the rising number of cases, which has now touched 11,739 in the state with 277 deaths, Capt Amarinder Singh today called for extreme caution and directed DGP Gupta to ensure strict enforcement of all norms.

Citing the high positivity rate in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, the Chief Minister directed the Health Department to step up surveillance and testing in these districts to contain the spread. Jalandhar currently has the maximum of 18 micro-containment zones, Dr KK Talwar informed the Covid review meeting.

Meanwhile, pointing out that 28 police personnel at Nathana police station in Bathinda had tested positive, the DGP advised employees with fever or flu-like symptoms not to come to office but to get themselves tested at the earliest. All 28 cops were primary contacts of an ASI, who had tested positive some days ago, the DGP said.