VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the police department to maintain law and order without any compromise, and protect women, children and elderly persons at all times. Participating as the chief guest at the Police Commemoration Day event organised at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium in Vijayawada on Thursday, Jagan recalled the sacrifices made by police personnel.
He paid tributes to the martyrs and gave financial assistance to their families besides releasing book ‘Amarulu Vaaru’ (They are Martyrs) written on the sacrifices made by the police.The Chief Minister remembered the services of police personnel who sacrificed their lives for the country. He said 377 police personnel laid their lives down in the line of duty in the last one year across the country, of which 11 were from Andhra Pradesh.
Referring to the weekly off system for the police, the CM said the State government in 2019 introduced it to enable the personnel to function more efficiently. “However, due to Covid the weekly off system was not implemented properly. With the severity of the virus reducing gradually, it will resume from Thursday.”
“Steps are being taken to fill the vacant posts in the department on a large scale. Recognising the services of the police personnel, Rs 10 lakh has been sanctioned for the families of cops who died due to Covid. Special medical services were provided to the virus infected police. The special pay of Home Guards was also increased after the YSRC government came to power,” he noted.
Around Rs 15 crore arrears, which were pending during the TDP government, were released for the welfare of the police, he said. Giving the highest priority to the safety of women in the State, around 16,000 women police personnel were appointed in the police department at the level of village and ward secretariats.
“A training programme for them will start at the earliest. The State also stands by the families of the policemen who sacrificed their lives as frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus. Around Rs 5 lakh has been sanctioned by the department to the families of each police personnel killed due to corona; orders have been issued to sanction another Rs 5 lakh from the State government as a matching grant.”
“We are providing specialized medical care to the corona affected police personnel and their families, and the families of the staff who have died with corona have been provided with other facilities of ex gratia like nowhere else in the country,” Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
On the steps taken for the safety of women, Jagan said his government has accorded top priority for the safety of the women, and as part of it, Disha App and Disha Police Stations were launched, and Disha Public Prosecutors were recruited like nowhere else in the country.
“We have taken every effort for the passing of the Disha Bill and it has already been approved by both the Houses and sent to the Centre for approval.” DGP D Gautam Sawang, Home Minister M Sucharita, Chief Secretary Sameer Sarma, and Ministers Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao and Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao were also present.
Rs 15 crore pending arrears released, says Jagan
The Chief Minister remembered the sacrifices of 11 cops from the State who died in the line of duty in the last one year
Around Rs 15 crore peding arrears released for the welfare of the police, he said.
Around Rs 5 lakh has been sanctioned by the department to the families of each police personnel who died due to Covid; orders have been issued to sanction another Rs 5 lakh from the State govt as a matching grant, Jagan said