In an important decision, Punjab Government on Friday established a Police Prison Co-ordination Group (PPCG) as a mechanism for regular and effective co-ordination between the Police and Prison Department for exchange of intelligence about organised crime and other illegal activities which are being organised from inside the jails of the State.
A spokesman of State police said the Director General of Police, Punjab will be the Chairman of PPCG. Besides this, ADGP/Prison, DGP/ Intelligence and Secretary, Jails, will be the members while ADGP-cum-Director, Bureau of Investigation has been made Member-Secretary.
Identification of the criminal elements lodged in the prisons, which are playing role in gang crimes, drugs, robberies and other heinous offences, developing and sharing actionable intelligence, strengthening the existing security of prisons and evolving mechanisms of escort of under trials, re-arrest of parole jumpers and better co-ordination between Police and Prison departments would be the main objectives of this newly constituted group.
The State Government has also approved the transfer of 37.68 acres of land of Irrigation Department situated at village Jugial in district Pathankot to the Police department.
The spokesman said this land will be utilised for construction of police lines of district Pathankot and IRB Headquarters. other police offices, including those of the district set-up and the Intelligence wing. Although district Pathankot was created in 2011, many important infrastructures of the police, including police lines have not yet been set-up due to unavailability of land so far.