Punjab govt deploys 3,500 police personnel at Shambu, Khanauri borders as farmers line up for march

This time, the government has deployed around 3,500 police personnel at Shambhu, as against the 1,200 security forces who were pressed into service on February 13 to control the Dilli Chalo march of the farmers’ unions – Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and SKM (non-political), sources said.

The government has pressed into service 20 ambulances at Rajpura and Shambhu and 12 at Dhabi Gujran near Khanauri border. Eighteen duty magistrates and eight Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officers have been deputed as special executive magistrates, confirmed the office of Patiala district administration.

“A control room has been set up at SDM office in Rajpura for coordination and a team of 2 PCS officers for coordinating the health department response has also been set up,” said an officer with the administrative department.

Over 60 people were injured due to tear gas, and firing of rubber bullets from the Haryana side on February 13 and 14. Three people had lost their vision in the violence, while two farmers died of cardiac arrest, said the police.

Even as barricades have been erected by the Haryana government, farmers’ unions said that they would march ahead to Delhi. They have already positioned one earthmover, and a hydra borer at Shambhu. On Tuesday evening, two policemen were injured as they tried to stop a few such excavation machines at the border, sources said.