Cops dispel villagers’ fears about testing

Nikhil Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, September 29

To convince villagers for Covid testing, the Ludhiana rural police, along with the Health Department, have started a drive to ensure 100 per cent Covid testing among villagers as and when required.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana rural, Vivek Sheel Soni has formed teams of senior officials who are meeting the Panchayats and persuading villagers for Covid testing. The initiative has been taken as several Panchayats had refused to give samples for Covid testing citing rumours.

“Barmi village was declared a micro-containment zone on September 25. A team was deputed by the Health Department for conducting a survey and rapid testing of the residents of the village. The response was very poor. Last month, a few residents of the village had given a memorandum to the SMO of Pakhowal asking the Health Department not to come to their village as they will not give samples for testing,” said the SSP, adding that this situation created hurdles in testing so the police came forward to convince the villagers by dispelling their doubts.

The SSP said the villages of Barmi and Dhoorkot had earlier passed resolutions not to support health teams. Now, all villages have passed a resolution in favour of active testing and tracing of possible Covid patients.

Soni revealed that Sukhnaaz Singh, DSP Raikot, along with Dr Surinderjit Singh, MO of Pakhowal, and other officials of the Health Department and the police conducted a meeting with Panchayat members and 20-25 other respectable residents of the village. They were persuaded to go for testing and cooperate with the health team.

“A Panchayat resolution signed by the Sarpanch of Barmi was handed over to the DSP of Raikot in which the Panchayat resolved to give full cooperation to health officials and the administration in the fight against Covid,” said the SSP.

The SSP claimed that now, 100 per cent villages that fell under the Ludhiana rural police had agreed to go for testing as and when desired by the government. He said strict action would be taken against rumour-mongers.