IG diverts Rs80m to districts for cops' safety as 191 test positive.

Byline: Asif Chaudhry

LAHORE -- The Punjab police department has re-appropriated funds of Rs80 million for the districts to be spent on safety of police officials and personnel, apprehending rapid spread of coronavirus among them as 191 policemen have so far tested positive for the virus, while lab test results of 4,602 others are awaited.

The ratio of positive test results shows that more than 10 percent of the police force discharging duties on frontline during the epidemic has got infected.

It is the highest number of any government department employees getting infected, surpassing healthcare professionals figure of 180.

The Punjab government has announced a double-salary package for the health professionals, while the police force could get only 10 percent of the required personal protective equipment (PPE) so far, besides other necessary articles, needed for their protection against the virus.

The number of infected policemen is higher than health professionals

The department fears if preventive measures are not taken, the number of the infected police personnel may go into thousands as a majority of them are manning quarantine centres and corona wards at the state-run hospitals.

As the experts briefed Punjab Inspector General of Police Shoaib Dastagir on the issue, he ordered slashing the department's budget to arrange funds for the field force.

'An initial fund to the tune of Rs80 million has been provided to the police of various districts for the welfare of the field force', Punjab Operations DIG Sohail Akthar Sukhera told Dawn.

He said the IGP issued directions to the police welfare wing to take emergent measures for the safety of the frontline field force during the pandemic across the province.

Mr Sukhera further said that in addition to that, he also announced a Rs25,000 package for each of the policemen getting infected with the virus in the line of duty.

To a question, he said, the department had already submitted a request to the Punjab government for the provision of protective kits and other necessary equipment to guard the...