Punjab Police withdraws personnel from non-core duties to create COVID Reserves

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 23 (ANI): Punjab Police has withdrawn 6,355 personnel from non-core duties to create "COVID Reserves" and reinforce its field force at police stations and in the Armed Battalions.
"Acting on the Chief Minister's directives, the Punjab Police has withdrawn 6,355 personnel from non-core duties to create COVID Reserves and reinforce its field force at police stations and in the Armed Battalions," read a press release from the Punjab Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
"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 the various safety norms and protocols in place in the state," the press release said.
It said, the manpower mobilisation exercise was undertaken from July 17, and as of July 23, 3,669 personnel were part of the 202 COVID Reserves in districts while 475 were in the COVID Reserves of the Armed Battalions, disclosed 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/Civil officers and threatened persons, and officials on temporary attachment with other units, the press release said.
Disclosing this during the COVID review Video Conference (VC) meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the DGP said, post the exercise, an additional 1800 police personnel have been mobilised at the police stations, across the ranks of Constable to Inspector.
The press release added, as far as the Armed Battalions are concerned, the additional personnel deployment, in addition to 475 in the COVID Reserves, has been made at Shambhu Barrier (118), Security duty in districts (191) and NGOs of Armed Battalions (102). (ANI)