Alarmed at increasing incidents of road fatalities in the state, the Punjab government has decided to set up a Sadak Suraksha Force (SSF). Chief minister Bhagwant Mann gave the nod for the creation of the force during the cabinet meeting held on Friday. A government spokesperson said the cabinet gave its consent to launch the force as a plan for road safety on 5,500 kilometres of state and national highways.
Punjab has witnessed an increase in traffic and road infrastructure over the past few decades. As many as 144 patrolling vehicles, fitted with specialised equipment, to check drunken driving and overspeeding will be deployed on these routes, each covering a distance of 30 km. An amount of Rs 30 crore will be spent on the purchase of vehicles and the equipment installed in them. Around 5,000 police personnel will be deployed in the Sadak Suraksha Force of which around 1,200-1,500 personnel will be immediately provided out of the newly recruited police jawans.
The cabinet also gave its approval for setting up a “facilitation centre" at the arrival hall of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, to assist NRIs landing there. This centre will be manned 24×7 and the passengers/relatives will be given assistance regarding the arrival of flights, connecting flights, taxi services, lost luggage facilities, etc, at the airport. The centre will have tie-ups with taxi services available at reasonable rates.
The cabinet gave its nod to use artificial intelligence (AI) in further improving governance in the state. The decision aims at making the state a frontrunner in the use of AI in governance and providing better services to residents. AI can be helpful in reducing road accidents, checking tax evasion, improving health services and citizen interfaces, etc, say officials.
The Punjab cabinet also approved the Annual Administrative Report of the police department for the year 2019.