Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has directed Inspector-General Police (IGP) Punjab to transfer all DSPs deputed at high way patrolling posts and replace them with honest and dutiful officers recruited for this purpose.
He further directed that corrupt police officers be immediately suspended rather than transferred and barred from field posting besides proceedings be initiated for their removal from service.
He said he would pay surprise visits for the inspection of patrolling posts so that the desired results of the new police system could be achieved. He said staff posted at patrolling posts was being empowered for improving their efficiency regarding crime control.
He was presiding over a high level meeting at Chief Minister's Secretariat, here on Tuesday to review performance of police patrolling posts. The Chief Minister said a sum of Rs 6 billion was being spent on setting up of police patrolling posts, which had helped to control crime on highways as well as promote a sense of security among citizens, he added.
Elahi said government was considering to evolve a separate cadre and service rules for patrolling posts staff so that they could be empowered and made more efficient.
He said government had devised the system of patrolling posts and traffic wardens with renewed determination and it would help enable police department to perform its true duties, he pointed out.
CM said special incentives would be offered to the trainers for imparting international standard of training to the constables, head constables and ASIs recruited for patrolling posts besides capacity of police training schools was also being enhanced.
Elahi further directed that staff of patrolling posts should not be transferred unduly and its attendance, discipline and alertness be ensured besides providing them basic facilities immediately. He said a modern satellite system was being introduced to monitor the movement of the vehicles of patrolling posts and initially trackers would be installed in 300 vehicles.
The CM said this system would help in immediate redressal of people's grievances. The meeting was informed that 209 police patrolling posts were operational in the province while 142 more patrolling posts would be completed in 72 cities by September this year. Similarly, 212 new posts were being established in different cities. He directed that the pace of construction of patrolling posts be expedited and due attention be paid to quality of construction of work.
The meeting was further informed that 97 proclaimed offenders and 43 absconders had been apprehended through patrolling posts this year while timely help was provided to citizens in 23,172 incidents. Elahi said 2,500 more vacancies would be filled in to remove the shortage of staff at patrolling posts.
He further said patrolling posts were helping in removal of encroachments, traffic management, crime control and solution of people's problems, especially extending security cover to the citizens on roads during night.
CM said a transparent system was being evolved for monitoring the facilities provided to the staff of patrolling posts as well as utilisation of funds. He directed that milestones be installed on the roads for the guidance of passengers and indication of distance.
IG Punjab Police, Ahmcd Naseem said establishment of patrolling posts was important step of the Chief Minister Punjab and was helping in crime control on highways. He said Chief Minister's instructions were being strictly implemented for the provision of relief to the masses.
Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Local Government, Muhammad Basharat Raja, Chief Secretary Punjab Salman Siddique, Inspector General Police Punjab, Ahmed Naseem, Chairman Planning and Development Salman Ghani, Secretary Home, Khusroo Parvez, Secretary Law, Sh Ahmed Farooq, Secretary C and W Ahsan Raja, Additional IG Highway Patrolling and Tariq Saleem Dogar were present on the occasion.