Chandigarh, November 1: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday presented the President’s Colour to the Chandigarh Police and said the force now secures convictions in 85 per cent of cases, taking an average of 140 days from case to conviction.
The ceremony was held as the Chandigarh Police marked the diamond jubilee of its founding. Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria was among those present.
141 vehicles added to the fleet
Mr Shah said 141 new vehicles were being inducted into the Chandigarh Police fleet to strengthen rapid response, patrolling and mobility. The force currently ranks second in the country for response time, and the new vehicles will take it to first place, he said.
He said the force has a quick response time of 10 minutes, while the police take four minutes on average to reach a location. He added that 154 new vehicles had been inducted into the force in 2026.
Conviction figures under the new criminal laws
Mr Shah said that from August 4, 2024, to date, 8,206 FIRs had been registered in Chandigarh and the police had filed charge sheets online in 7,590 of them. Convictions had been secured in 85 per cent of cases, and in cases under the NDPS Act, 93 per cent of the accused had been convicted, he said.
He described this as a model for police forces across the country in implementing the three new criminal laws, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced in Chandigarh. He also said Chandigarh would be the first city in the country to become drug-free.
Beat policing and CCTV coverage
According to Mr Shah, Chandigarh was the first to introduce beat policing after 2015. Through its Beat Policing App, he said, citizens no longer have to visit police stations for their needs. He noted that the city has the highest number of vehicles per capita in the country but does not face traffic congestion.
The Government of India has provided Chandigarh with 2,152 artificial intelligence-enabled CCTV cameras, he said.
What the President’s Colour recognises
Mr Shah said the President’s Colour is awarded to a force in recognition of more than 15 years of service, taking into account the discipline and dedication of its personnel. He recalled that Chandigarh was made a Union Territory and the joint capital of both states on November 1, 1966, and that the Chandigarh Police has since worked in coordination with the Haryana and Punjab police forces to manage the tricity region.
The force has more than 6,000 personnel. Mr Shah said it had won 145 medals at the All India Police Duty Meet, including 35 gold, 38 silver and 72 bronze.
Welfare measures
Financial assistance of ₹8,000 a month is being given to 130 families of widowed police personnel, and educational and sports scholarships worth about ₹2.25 crore are also being provided, he said. The housing satisfaction rate among personnel stands at 48 per cent.
Related: Amit Shah sets 2029 target for drug-free India on Police Commemoration Day
Also read: Amit Shah sets December 2029 target to free Punjab of drug trade