Taking lessons from the Dinanagar terror attack where police used outdated weapons to smoke out terrorists, the Punjab Government is all set to raise a modern police force.
The State Government came under sharp attack from different quarters after the pictures of State Police
personnel fighting three militants, heavily-armed with sophisticated weapons, using outdated guns sans security gear including bulletproof jackets or helmets in Monday terror attack went viral.
Waking up to the vulnerability of the policemen to danger, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said whole-hearted efforts will be made to further modernise the police force in the State.
Badal, who visited the families of martyrs including the SP-Detective Baljeet Singh, said he had spoken to his son and the State Home Minister Sukhbir Badal a day before. “We will look into complaints of poor equipment. We will have to learn lessons from the incident,” he said.
For the same, he looked up to the Central Government for assistance. Badal, batting for liberal Central assistance to modernise the police force in the State, said it was the need of the hour so as to further equip the State Police force with modern weapons.
“We can wait for some more time for funds for building bridges and roads but funds for modernising the Police force must be released expeditiously,” he added.
The Chief Minister said since long, Punjab had remained a peaceful State as no such untoward incident had taken place in recent past. “However, this operation has given an opportunity to reassess the situation and overcome our weaknesses and follies, if any,” he said.
“We will certainly take stock of the entire situation and examine the finer details of operation so as to undertake modernisation of Police force, if needed,” he added.
The district police chiefs have been asked to provide the police station-wise detail of weapons, and weapon requirements within a stipulated period. Dinanagar attack has brought forth the serious paucity of weapons and safety gear among policemen. The policemen, armed with outdated weapons, could not withstand the assault of terrorist who were equipped with high-tech weaponry.
During the incident, four policemen, including SP (Detective) Baljeet Singh, lost their lives.