Chandigarh, Oct. 1 — Punjab Police will recruit 3,400 constables to tackle staff shortages, while an additional 1,600 personnel will be promoted, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced on Tuesday. The promotions will include 150 Inspectors, 450 Sub-Inspectors, and 1,000 Assistant Sub-Inspectors, he said.
Yadav added that, beyond direct recruitment, 4,500 district cadre posts will be filled in a phased manner. He also ordered a resource audit and the deputation of head constables to police stations to reduce workload, particularly in cases under the NDPS Act. “Manpower will be recruited over the period of time,” he said while chairing a virtual meeting reviewing action against organised crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism.
The DGP directed officers to adopt an “iron-fist approach” against gangsters. “Identify associates of gangsters and put them behind bars. You have full protection and support from the department. Deal with the gangsters fearlessly,” he said. He emphasized accountability for every officer, from constables to SSPs, and warned that no laxity would be tolerated on gangster and drug fronts.
Yadav also praised the force’s efforts under the “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, which has achieved an 87% conviction rate in NDPS cases. He stressed professional investigation to trace both backward and forward linkages to capture the “big fish.” Officers were instructed to use Section 64A of the NDPS Act, which allows rehabilitation for drug consumers caught with small quantities, and to take public inputs seriously, noting that the Safe Punjab anti-drug chatbot has achieved a 35% FIR conversion rate.
