Sidhu flags off fire vans for 11 cities

CHANDIGARH: Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday flagged off 11 fire vehicles for various cities in the state.

These vehicles are for Jalandhar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Dinanagar, Dhuri, Sunam, Faridkot, Nabha, Dera Baba Nanak, Raikot and Nakodar. Sidhu said the government had put ‘fire services and ambulances’ in essential services category.

Sidhu said eight more fire vehicles would be flagged off next week — two vehicles each for Ludhiana, Bathinda and Amritsar and one each for Jalandhar and Patiala.

He said the government will set up a fire services directorate and a fire prevention Act will be passed. The minister also said the state government will observe a ‘Fire extinguishing service week’ from April 17-21.

SHORTAGE OF FIRE TENDERS

Against a requirement of 550 fire vehicles, the state has just 195. Of these, 114 vehicles are outdated. Only the fire vehicle at Mohali has a hi-tech ladder.

SIKANDER SINGH/HT (From left) MLAs Pargat Singh, Barinderjit Singh Pahra and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa with former MLA Jagbir Brar, local bodies department adviser Amar Singh, MLA Dalbir Singh Goldy, director, local bodies dept, KK Yadav, local bodies minister Navjot...