Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday flagged off a fleet of 98 emergency response vehicles (ERVs) to ensure help to people in distress in a time-bound manner.
Equipped with mobile data terminals (MDTs) and global positioning system, the vehicles will be the first responders to a crime scene and stationed at police stations in all 28 police districts of the state.
Mann termed the launch as yet another step towards modernising and updating policing to facilitate people.
Contrary to the earlier system of manually noting distressed people's complaints and acting on them in a time span of 20-25 minutes, these ERVs offer on-the-spot action.
He said these ERVs will be connected to the public safety answering point (PSAP)- a centralised call receiving centre of "Dial 112" and district coordination centre (DCC) with the help of MDTs.
Moreover, Mann said the live location of these emergency response vehicles will be available at Dial 112 control room (PSAP) and district coordinator centre with the help of mobile data terminal devices thereby ensuring help to people in a time-bound manner.
Replying to a question on his bribery allegation against former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew, Mann again refused to name the cricketer who, according to him, was asked to pay a bribe of Rs 2 crore in return for a government job under the sports quota.
However, Mann said his government will hold a probe in the matter.
Without naming the player, Mann said the revelation was made to him by the Punjab cricketer when he was in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh to watch an Indian Premier League match last week.
Channi, however, rejected Mann's allegations and slammed the chief minister for spreading canards against him.
Replying to a question, Mann said the state does not have a single drop of water to share with the other states.
He said Punjab is already making strenuous efforts to ensure optimum utilisation of canal water in the state, adding that the Sirhind feeder caters to the water needs of the entire Malwa region of Punjab has a capacity of only 5,200 cusecs of water whereas the Indira Gandhi canal, which caters to requirements of Rajasthan, has a capacity of 18,000 cusecs of water.
Mann said the state government in Rajasthan has decided to repair the canal in May and June.
“If Rajasthan needs water, it can get its own share released because Punjab is already finding it hard to cater to the needs of its own farmers,” said Mann.
Earlier, the CM said, being a border state, several forces inimical to Punjab have tried to disturb the hard-earned peace but police have always foiled such attempts.
Mann said to further overcome major challenges faced by the state, it is imperative that the police force is updated as per advanced requirements in the field of investigation, science and technology.
-With PTI Input
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