“Fire department would purchase the ultra modern vehicles for all the fire stations and a Fire Prevention Act would also be enacted by the department in the state” said Local Bodies Minister, Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu. He further disclosed that a separate Fire Directorate would come up in order to provide better fire services to the urban population of the state.Till now, there is no vehicle for fire services equipped with hitech ladder although hordes of multi-storey structures have come up in the cities barring one at Mohali. Sidhu said that Fire and Ambulance are the two essential services which must be provided quickly without losing anytime. He further said that SAD-BJP ruled for 10 long years in Punjab but didn’t paid any attention towards this vital aspect. He further said that Punjab has around 200 fire vehicles for 54 fire stations out of which 114 are outdated. In many constituencies there is no fire station.
Sidhu further disclosed that the Union Government gave a grant worth Rs. 90 crore for fire services out of which only Rs. 17 crore were spent and that too for small vehicles. The rest was resumed due to non-spending. He also disclosed that the current government under the leadership of Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh would turn the weaknesses left by the previous government into strengths.
