Police deployment will not be politician-centric but for people: Mann

Punjab Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said that police will be deployed for the security of people of the state as this is more important than "security of few people".

He said the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state will take "only police work from the police force".

"Police stations are lying vacant. We will take only police work from the police force. I think the security of the people of Punjab is more important than the security of few people," Mann told ANI.

He was answering a query on reports that the new government removing the security of former ministers and MLAs.

 

"The police are providing security to the politicians. We will deploy the police where it has to be deployed. The security of the people of Punjab is more important. I myself live like this," he said.

Mann will take oath as new chief minister of Punjab on March 16.

He said the new government will strive to take governance to the doorsteps of people so that they do not have to rush to the state capital to find solutions to their issues.

"We will make efforts to provide all facilities to the people from the comfort of their homes. We went to seek votes door-to-door, even in the fields of the farmers. But after we win, we tell them to visit Chandigarh to get their work done. I want the least number of people to visit Chandigarh to get their work done," he said.

Mann also took a dig at the previous governments and said they did not take the service of good officers as their governments "did not have pure intentions".

"We will work hard and take historic decisions. There are many good officers in Punjab. Their services were not availed earlier because of flawed intentions. Now there is a government with pure intentions. Good decisions will be taken," he said.

Mann also said that AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit Punjab on Sunday.

"Arvind Kejriwal is coming to Punjab tomorrow. We will bow our heads at the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar. Will also go to the Durgiana temple and Valmiki Dham where Lord Valmiki had taught Luv, Kush," he said.

Mann and Kejriwal will hold a roadshow in Amritsar over the party's victory in the Assembly polls.

Mann met Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on Saturday to stake a claim to form the government.

Aam Aadmi Party registered a landslide victory in the Punjab polls with 92 seats. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly while BJP won two and Shiromani Akali Dali three seats.