Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said the state government would recruit 10,000 more personnel in the police force as part of its ongoing campaign against drugs.
Speaking to reporters after honouring police officers at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Police Academy in Phillaur, Mann said the police had full authority to take all legal action against drug trafficking. He directed officers to visit villages and towns, involve local people and intensify efforts against the drug menace.
Mann said the government’s ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign had now developed into a statewide public awareness movement.
The chief minister said 450 Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) would soon be recruited through direct recruitment. He added that around 3,400 recently recruited police personnel were currently undergoing training.
“Next financial year, there is a proposal to issue advertisements for 10,000 more police posts,” Mann said.
He said the government was not only expanding the police force but also working to modernise it.
Mann further said the state government was in talks with the Centre over making provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act stricter to deal more effectively with drug trafficking.
