To involve the masses in the war against drugs, the Punjab Police has decided to strengthen the Saanjh Advisory Boards and Saanjh Committees through which about 35,000 people have been associated with Saanjh Kendras that have been made operational in every police station of the State.
Incidentally, Punjab was the first State in the country to initiate the concept of Saanjh Kendras to provide civil services of police in a corporate environment and to make police accountable through the use of state-of-the-art software.
The idea behind the constitution of the Boards and Committees is to involve the masses at village level in the fight against drugs, which according to an affidavit submitted by Punjab Government a few years ago had impacted nearly 70 per cent of all families.
Director General of Police (Community Policing) S.K. Sharma said the advisory panels have roped in local people, including NGOs, intellectuals, social workers and professionals to deal with the menace of drugs. These panels are also focussing on critical issues of women safety, traffic and presence of stray animals on roads and helping finding solutions at local level.
Presiding over a meeting of District Community, Mr Sharma said there was a need for greater engagement with the community. He said a training module for members of Saanjh Committees and Saanjh Advisory Boards will be prepared soon to enable them to mobilize and involve more people with the Saanjh initiatives.
