IG warns officers over public complaints

LAHORE :Inspector General of Police Punjab Shoaib Dastagir chaired a video link plenary session at Central Police Office.

Activities relating to helping families affected by coronavirus lockdown under police relief fund would be continued every month. Ration bags specially should be provided to the needy and deserving families, the IG said.

During the lockdown, legal action has been taken against 23,477 citizens under Section 144, whereas, legal actions have been taken against 365 citizens for violation of laws on hoardings. In the wake of arrival of Ramazanul Mubarak, preparations and planning keeping in view the lockdown should be continued. Close coordination must be maintained with administration of mosques, imambargahs and other worship places.

The IG said that police officers and officials should perform their duties with hard work and diligence so that spread of coronavirus might be contained and the lives of citizens might be saved.

He said directions by the government with respect to the lockdown and social distancing should also be implemented strictly. He said helping activities under police relief fund should be continued for the lockdown affected families till the eradication of the pandemic disease and the process of distribution of ration bags among daily wagers and other poor labourers should be continued with the help of contribution of police officers and officials from their pockets according to their status.

Punjab police are standing with the poor and deserving families in the time of difficulty. He stressed upon the officers that ration bags should be provided especially to those deserving families who were not provided with ration bags earlier by government, NGOs or any other source.

He said that in the wake of arrival of Easter, Ramazanul Mubarak and tentative extension in lockdown, all planning and preparations should be made. He said that close coordination should be maintained with administration of mosques, imambargahs and worship places by taking them into confident with respect to implementation of orders of government for welfare of the citizens.

He directed the police officers to intensify action on violation of Section 144 and the law on hoarding. The IG said that implementation of Section 144 should be strictly ensured in all districts of the province and legal action should be taken against the violators irrespective of their status and social position. He said that in this time of difficulty, callous persons involved in hoarding and increasing difficulties for the citizens were the criminals of the nation and such anti-social elements should be dealt with strict legal action so that every possible relief could be provided to the citizens.

During the session, the IG Punjab was apprised that legal action had been taken against 23,477 citizens on violation of Section 144 while legal action had been taken against 365 people for violating the law on hoarding.

The IG said that for timely addressing the complaints received through Pakistan Citizens Portal, training circuses should be conducted for the focal persons to improve their performance. This way, they may do their duties and provide every possible relief to the citizens, the IG added. He emphasised that the complaints should be concluded by satisfying the applicants.

He said disciplinary action would be taken against those focal persons who were found guilty of dropping the complaints without addressing them. He said a complaint should be disposed of within two to three days, and undue delay would be considered negligence.