SUKHBIR orders linking of all trial courts by video conferencing in next three months

Chandigarh, July 31, 2013: The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today issued instructions for linking all trial courts of Punjab with the jails through video conferencing and this Rs. 32 crore ambitious project would be completed within next 3 months.

Badal took this decision in a high level meeting to review the functioning of police department late last night and said that the new hi-tech system as approved by Punjab and Haryana High Court would reduce moving out prisoners out of jail to the court just for the sake of extending their remand. He said that presently on an average daily 4000 police personnel were deployed to escort the prisoners to the courts and back to the jails. He said that this was sheer wastage of police manpower that could be fruitfully utilized for law and order duties. He asked Principal Secretary Home D.S. Bains to float tenders and link all trial courts through video conferencing that would reduce movement of Prisoners out of jail.

Asking DGP Sumedh Singh to draw up a list of those police officials/officers who have completed a stay of five or more years in a district and said that within one month all these SPs, DSPs and other officials be posted out of that district within one month. Badal said that longer stay of a police official in a particular posting or a district breeds corruption and there should be a scientific method of rotation of police personnel and asked the police department to work out a personnel policy.

Approving separate cadre for NRI Police Stations, Badal approved 8 more NRI police stations and 7 Police Stations for Women and gave his nod to new structure under which NRI police stations would directly work under the command of IG NRI Affairs and one DSP would be in-charge of four police stations and there was a separate DIG for police stations for women.    

Setting in motion the new automated traffic offence detection challaning method, Badal said that under this project all national and state highways would be covered by CCTV Cameras and automatic speed detection guns. He said that all these cameras and speed detection guns would be sending their data in real-time to the central server and any vehicles crossing the speed limit would be automatically issued challan by the computer.

Giving the final touches to the concept of distress cum helpline 181, Badal said that this statewide single number helpline was a novel initiative by any police force in the state that would provide 24X7 helpline to the citizens. He said that the helpline would be managed by state-of-the-art call center that would have well trained call counselors, case coordinators and clinical psychologists, who were ready to help the complainant and follow the complaint with the concerned authorities till satisfactory closure. He said that this help line has been dedicated to women, children, senior citizen and NRIs. He asked the DGP to ensure connectivity of this helpline from foreign countries also especially for NRI complainants.

Approving separation of Investigation from Policing, Badal said that investigation wing would work independently and ensure scientific investigation and timely conviction. He said that investigation wing would not be given the duties of law and order maintenance and this wing in the district would be headed by SP (D). However, the supremacy of SHO would not be compromised.

Stressing on the need for improving conviction rate, Badal said that scientific collection of evidence, preparing the chargesheet in fool proof manner, follow up of all criminal cases in the respective courts would ensure early conviction that would be deterrent for criminals.

Expressing concern over complaints regarding delayed response on 100 number, Badal asked that DGP to issue instructions to all Police Commissioners and SSPs to prompt response.

Besides Principal Secretary Home and DGP, top brass of police force, zonal IGs, DIGs also participated in the meeting.