Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah presented the 'President's Colour' to the Haryana Police in Karnal, Haryana today. On this occasion, Chief Minister of Haryana Shri Manohar Lal, Speaker of Haryana Legislative Assembly Shri Gian Chand Gupta, State Home Minister Shri Anil Vij and Director General of Haryana Police Shri P.K. Agrawal were also present along with other dignitaries.

In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the President's Colour is presented only after a careful examination of the courage, bravery and dedication during the 25 years of continuous service. It is a matter of pride for a robust police force like Haryana Police, the people of the state as well as for the entire country, to be presented with this prestigious honour. He said that Haryana Police is known for being vigilant. The police force has showcased valour, patience and courage in every field by maintaining law and order, ensuring public safety, and making life easier for the citizens. It has also displayed efficiency and humanity while handling various movements owing to its proximity to the national capital. Shri Shah congratulated all the policemen and officers who have made their contributions to the Haryana Police since its inception. Home Minister said that the President's Colour to the Haryana Police is a testimony of their professionalism and exceptionally high standards. He said that during the difficult times of Corona pandemic, Haryana Police selflessly served the people with true spirit without caring for their own lives. He added that by supporting the elderly, weak and sick people during such adverse conditions, Haryana Police won the confidence of not only people of the state, but of the entire nation.

The Union Home Minister said that on this day in 2019, 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) personnel were martyred in a dastardly attack in Pulwama. He said that the names of these 40 soldiers are imprinted in golden letters in the Indian history. Paying tributes to the 40 martyrs of Pulwama attack on behalf of a grateful nation, Home Minister said that the sacrifice of the martyrs has a huge influence in determining the current forward march of the nation. Shri Shah also paid tributes to former External Affairs Minister late Smt. Sushma Swaraj on her birth anniversary.

Shri Amit Shah said that Presentation with the President's Colour, showcases a sign of great credibility for the organization and the institution. He said that Haryana Police has become one of the 10 state police forces in the country to receive this highest honour from the President. After Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Assam, now the name of Haryana Police has also been added to the police forces to receive this highest honour. Home Minister said that it is not only an honour for the police force, but also of the historical saga of bravery, courage and dedication showcased by the state police in serving the people of Haryana. He added that Indian Navy was the first one to receive this honor in 1951 and since then 10 State Police Forces and several Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have also been presented with the President's Colour.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that since its inception on November 1, 1966, the service of Haryana Police has been exemplary. Initially starting with only around 12,000 police personnel in 1966, the Haryana Police's strength has now touched over 75,000 personnel. Additionally, their work-profile has been extended to five Police Ranges, four Police Commissionerates and Railway Police in 19 districts, which is a matter of great pride for the people of Haryana and the entire country. Shri Shah said that Haryana ranks first among the states with good law and order situation. He said that during the past one year itself, the Haryana Police, along with central agencies and Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan Police, has achieved great success in eliminating many inter-state gangs. He congratulated the Special Task Force, which was set up in 2018, for this achievement. Home Minister paid tribute to 83 police personnel and officers who have been martyred since the inception of Haryana Police. Shri Shah said that Haryana also faced the agony of terrorism in Punjab for 10 years from 1984 to 1994 and conquered it. He also paid tribute to the policemen and officers who were martyred during the period.

Shri Amit Shah said that several reforms have been initiated in the police system under the direction of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. These reforms are ensuring that the police remain approachable and committed to working for the welfare of people and also reduce difficulties of the people through adoption of modern technology. Shri Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set up a 'Police Technology Mission' under the Home Ministry to meet the challenges of the future, which will technologically empower the country's police force. He said that this mission will provide technology education to the entire police system, from the constable to the DGP, and help in reducing the crime rate. Shri Shah expressed confidence that in near future, Haryana Police will imbibe this technology mission like ICJS and CCTN.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has put forth the resolution of a drug-free India during the year of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, and the Government of India is coordinating with the police forces of all the states towards its success. Shri Shah said that the Government of India is adopting a policy of zero tolerance against drugs and has resolved that the Drug-Free India campaign will culminate only after achieving its goal. He said that several steps have also been taken to eliminate the menace of narcotics, due to which manifold seizures have been made as compared to past. It also showcases that the campaign against Narcotics is only going to intensify in near future. Home Minister said that forensic science experts are being trained at the National Forensic Science University and alongside, amendments are being brought in CrPC, IPC and Evidence Act. He said that the government is going to include forensic science mandatorily in all crimes punishable with 6 years or more. He added that this step will improve the conviction rate and drastically reduce the number of crimes in the country.

Shri Amit Shah said that since 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Home Affairs has proficiently handled many internal security challenges. Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgency in the Northeast and violence in the left-wing extremism areas had plagued the country for several decades. He said that after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the terrorist incidents have reduced drastically and a record number of tourists from all over the country are visiting Jammu and Kashmir. The Government of India has achieved great success in cracking down on terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, in Northeast, more than 8000 armed youths have surrendered and been brought back into the mainstream by signing peace agreements with several groups. He added that a new environment of peace, development and confidence has been established in the Northeast. Shri Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, AFSPA, a sign of unrest in the Northeast, has seen a reduction of 60 percent, and it is a huge achievement. While in 2010, 96 districts came under Left Wing Extremist areas, the number has reduced to 46 in 2021. Left Wing Extremism related violence cases have also reduced by more than 70 percent. It shows that the country will soon be completely free of Left-Wing Extremism.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that 29 cyber police stations and 309 cyber desks are helping tackle cyber fraud cases in Haryana. The state has been awarded top-rank in the implementation of the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) and Crime and Criminal Tracking Network (CCTN) project. He said that these two modernization projects executed by the Haryana Police will help in firmly controlling the crime rate in the state and make lives of citizens more convenient. Shri Amit Shah commended the service of emergency number 112, initiated in July 2021, which has received and responded to more than 86 lakh calls in a very short duration. He said that Haryana has emerged on second position nationally in reducing the average response time of calls to emergency number from 11 minutes 36 seconds to 8 minutes 2 seconds. Shri Shah said that the state government has worked towards making Haryana a corruption-free state by initiating the chief minister's flying squad and conducting over 1,303 raids under the anti-corruption agenda. Haryana Police has dedicated more than 600 emergency response vehicles in the entire state. Additionally, by making all the license-related services online, setting-up Narcotics Control Bureau and holding NCORD meetings in every district, Haryana is actively fighting against the drug-menace.

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RK/AKS/AS