CHANDIGARH: Security forces in Punjab, fighting a now in war against growing militancy, are importing 600 rapid fire AK47 assault rifles, the Punjab police and paramilitary forces now propose to provide bulletproof tractors to their personnel.
Although a poorer copy of the armored personnel carriers, the tractors, with enlarged bodies and bulletproof body flanks and top, would greatly enable the security forces to move about in open agricultural fields and high crops, which is not possible with normal four wheel drive vehicles.
Punjab Police Chief KPS Gill last week confirmed the govt’s experiment with the tractors, saying that if they came up to expectations, some 75 of them would be inducted into operations. However, he added that the plan was still at an experimental stage.
A senior police official said in Amritsar earlier that he had also sought helicopters for the police in the border districts.
Crops destroyed by floods
LUDHIANA: As many as 1.25 lakh acres of cropped area have been affected by Monsoon floods in the Punjab.
Disclosing this Mr Hardyal Singh, Financial Commissioner (Revenue), said that Ferozepore district was the worst hit area.
Mr Hardval Singh said that besides, the districts of Kapurthala, Patiala, Sangrur and Bathinda, Amritsar and Ropar were also hit by floods. The state govt had ordered a special girdwari and asked the Deputy Commissioners to send the assessment reports soon.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 19, 1990
