Lucknow, Mar 6 (PTI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday flagged off 50 Quick Response Team vehicles and said the improved law and order since 2017 has transformed Uttar Pradesh from a riot-prone region into a safer destination for development.
Addressing the event here, the chief minister said development is only possible when people and their assets feel secure. He noted that for the first time in a democracy, law and order has become an election issue.
Adityanath credited the performance of the Uttar Pradesh Police between 2017 and 2022 for enabling a government to return to power after completing a full five-year term.
The chief minister said the police force has demonstrated that a state once associated with disorder and frequent curfews could be turned into a “safe Uttar Pradesh”.
“Security is the first condition for development. If a person is not safe, how can his capital and family remain secure?” he asked.
Adityanath highlighted several reforms introduced over the past nine years to improve policing in the state. He noted that the number of Police Response Vehicles (PRVs) increased from about 9,500 in 2017 to more than 15,500 at present. Similarly, the number of police motorcycles has risen from around 3,000 to over 9,200.
“These are not just numbers. They have helped reduce police response time in emergencies. Quick response builds public trust and trust leads to transformation,” the chief minister said.
Referring to the policing model advocated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath said infrastructure, technology and mobility are the three key pillars for strengthening the police system. He pointed out that before 2017, the state police budget was around Rs 16,000 crore, much of which remained unutilised due to inadequate infrastructure.
“Many districts had been created years ago but did not have proper headquarters or police lines. Police personnel had to live in dilapidated barracks with broken asbestos sheets after working 12-hour shifts,” he said. The current government, according to the chief minister, has focused on building model police stations, modern fire stations and expanding training facilities.
He said that in 2017 the training capacity in the state was only about 3,000 personnel at a time, which posed a challenge when large-scale recruitment was planned.
The government initially had to seek assistance from other states and central forces to increase the training capacity to about 30,000, he said, adding that today training facilities within the state have been significantly expanded.
Adityanath said that 60,244 police personnel have been recruited and are currently undergoing training at centres within Uttar Pradesh.
He also highlighted the creation of new security units, including a Special Security Force and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the formation of women battalions in the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the chief minister said the state would continue to follow a “zero tolerance” policy towards crime and corruption.
“The Uttar Pradesh government and the police are fully committed to implementing the policies of zero tolerance and zero corruption and to presenting the state as a safe and prosperous growth engine of India,” he said. PTI KIS AKY
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