AP police a brand: CM

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu paid homage to police martyrs, honouring their sacrifices, and announced a Rs 20 crore annual allocation for the welfare of police personnel on Monday.
Speaking at the Police Commemoration Day event at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada, the Chief Minister praised the police forces for their relentless efforts. He highlighted that the police work tirelessly, 24 hours a day, without rest, to ensure the safety of the public. “Andhra Pradesh police is a brand and has a proud history of suppressing factionalism, rowdyism, and Naxalism in the State,” said Chandrababu Naidu.
He also promised to further strengthen the police system, stating that Rs 100 crore had been released for the department over the last four months. He criticised the previous government, pointing out that while the former Chief Minister spent Rs 12 crore on fencing his house, he failed to release Rs10 crore for fingerprint identification technology. Chandrababu noted that despite spending Rs 700 crore on survey stones, the former regime did not allocate Rs 10 crore for installing CCTV cameras, and bills worth Rs 763 crore were left pending.
The Chief Minister announced that 6,100 vacant constable posts would soon be filled, and assured that the police force would be equipped with modern technology and infrastructure.
Paying tribute to police personnel who sacrificed their lives, the Chief Minister reflected on the significance of Police Commemoration Day, observed every year on October 21. He recalled how Indian forces were ambushed by Chinese troops at Ladakh on October 21, 1959, and despite knowing they would lose their lives, the Indian forces bravely fought the battle.
Chandrababu emphasised the crucial role the police play in ensuring the safety and security of society and praised their invaluable service. He pointed out that since 2014, various reforms have been introduced in the police system, and necessary vehicles and infrastructure have been provided according to their requirements.
“As soon as I took charge as Chief Minister, I prioritised the police system. It is the government’s basic responsibility to equip the police with the necessary tools. Now, modern technology will be provided, and equipment will be updated,” he added.
The Chief Minister further stated that pending bills of over Rs 100 crore have been cleared in recent months, including another Rs 97 crore, with Rs 61 crore being the Central Government’s share. He regretted that the police system had been misused by the previous government for political revenge but assured that the police work beyond hatred or political bias.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by the police, particularly the rise in cybercrime, the Chief Minister stressed the need for updating technology to address this growing issue. “Only by having the upper hand can we control criminals. It’s concerning that certain forces are trying to destabilise the police system. I assure you that the State Government will stand firmly by your side to handle such situations,” Chandrababu Naidu said.
Chief Secretary Neerab Kumar Prasad, Director General of Police Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) Ch Srikanth, and senior police officers, along with other personnel, participated in the event.