Punjab Police to revive Village Defence Committees

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 10 : Punjab Police will revive the Village Defence Committees (VDCs) across the state, especially in border districts, said Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Punjab Police (DGP).
The VDCs will be comprised of trusted and prominent persons of the village including retired police or army personnel, principals, government officials, etc, he said.
"These committees will work as eyes and ears of the police and supplement the efforts of Punjab Police to wipe out drugs, terrorists and gangsters from the border state," said the DGP.
Meanwhile, field officers were also asked to revive the beat system and one beat officer should be dedicated to each beat area so that accountability of the police officer for specific areas should be fixed.
Yadav on Monday held a virtual meeting with police officials across the state and reviewed the law and order situation of Punjab.
He asked the District Heads of Police to use effective law against anti-social elements and also invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in terror activities.
He also asked the officials to identify the drug hotspots in every police station area and give a special focus on pharmaceutical drugs to root out the menace from the state. He warned that the concerned SHO will be held responsible for any leniency in handling drug cases.