Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann unequivocally said on Sunday that gangsters, smugglers, criminals, and other anti-social elements have no place on the sacred land of Punjab and that they would soon be wiped out from the state.

Addressing a gathering during the passing-out parade of 2,490 cops here, Chief Minister Mann said that this pious land has produced saints, seers, martyrs, legendary players, and generals. Unfortunately, he alleged, under the patronisation of the previous governments, smugglers, gangsters, and other criminals have made the state their abode.

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Bhagwant Singh Mann said the state government has now started a crusade to weed out these anti-national elements adding that they will be behind the bars soon. The state is at a historic juncture as the government has launched a decisive war against drugs.

He further said that the state government has adopted a zero tolerance policy towards drugs to render the state completely drug-free with the active support and cooperation of the general public.

The CM said that the supply line of the drugs is being snapped, drug peddlers are being put behind the bars, and the properties of the drug smugglers are being confiscated/razed adding he expressed that the new cops will become an integral part in the war against the drugs.

The chief minister said being a border state a number of forces inimical to the state have been chalking out nefarious designs to disturb the hard-earned peace of Punjab even as the Punjab Police have always foiled such attempts.

He said to overcome major challenges faced by the state it is imperative for the police force to update itself, as per the requirements, in the field of investigation, science & technology.

Mann expressed the hope that the Punjab Police would uphold the glorious legacy of serving the people with utmost professional commitment.

He exhorted the cops to discharge their duty with utmost dedication, hard work, and commitment to contributing immensely in the progress of the state and prosperity of its people. The cops must play a proactive role in mitigating the woes of the general public and delivering justice to them.

The Chief Minister warned the fissiparous forces that their evil designs to create communal strife would be nipped in the bud. He said that the social bonding in the state is so strong that any seed could grow on the fertile land of Punjab but the seed of hatred will never germinate here at any cost.

The chief minister noted that since 2022, more than 10,000 youngsters have been recruited in the police force to update the force. Likewise, the state government has also decided to recruit 10,000 new cops in Punjab Police for which necessary clearance will be given by the Cabinet soon.

The state government has launched the first of its kind initiative in the country, a dedicated Sadak Surakhya Force to ensure enhanced security and to save precious lives on the State and National Highways, he informed.

He said specially trained, freshly recruited 1,597 personnel including girls are acting as the backbone to this force, who have been provided with the latest, fully equipped 144 vehicles and since its launch in February last year the state has witnessed a 48.10 per cent reduction in casualties due to accidents.