Over 20K policemen to ensure peaceful Republic Day celebrations in Punjab

Chandigarh: In the backdrop of threats by terrorist organisations, the police have made massive security arrangements for the peaceful Republic Day celebrations.

A force of over 20,000 police personnel and officers will be on duty that day to ensure foolproof law and order and security arrangements at all venues, said IGP, Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill, who was addressing a press conference here today.

Governor Banwarilal Purohit is scheduled to unfurl the National Flag and take the salute during a state-level Republic Day function in Patiala, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will unfurl the National Flag in Ludhiana.

Gill said that the DGP Gaurav Yadav has been supervising the security arrangements for the Republic Day and has also appointed Special DGP, Law and Order, Arpit Shukla as the nodal officer to ensure meticulous security arrangements at all venues.

“Foolproof arrangements are in place and senior police officers of the rank of Special DGP/ADGP/IGP/DIG have been asked to camp in different districts to monitor the security arrangements at their respective venues,” he said.

Gill further said that all gazetted officers and SHOs have also been asked to remain in the field till the culmination of the Republic Day event. Besides this, additional forces have been deployed at sensitive pockets.

The IGP said that the DGP has ordered extensive checking of vehicles and suspicious people across the state. Plan to seal all inter-state, inter-district and inter-city borders in the state are being implemented, he added.

He also urged the people to remain alert all the time and immediately report to the police if they find anything or anyone suspicious. “People can inform the police on 112 helpline number,” he added.

Meanwhile, CPs/SSPs have also been asked to conduct cordon and search operations at and around railway stations and bus stands and check vulnerable places, including markets, government buildings and religious places.