Andhra Pradesh: Police personnel will skip vaccination for poll duty, says DGP Gautam Sawang

Vijayawada: State director general of police (DGP) D Gautam Sawang said the police force decided to forgo the coronavirus vaccination and attend the panchayat election duty.

He said the rank and file of the police department held detailed discussions and finally decided to skip the Covid vaccination, which was part of the nation-wide programme, and attend the election duty which is enshrined in the constitution. Addressing media conference at the state police office at Mangalagiri, Sawang said police were also part of the frontline Covid warriors and the Union government had decided to include the police in the second phase of vaccination drive but the Andhra Pradesh police would skip.

He said, "I am proud of my police department, who once again demonstrated their professionalism and commitment to their duty," he said.

The DGP said the schedule of vaccination announced by the Union government may not match with the election schedule in Andhra Pradesh and it will disrupt the police duties if police go for vaccination. He said the duties and responsibilities of police are different from other polling staff, stating that every policeman and woman will be engaged in the election duty. He said the police bandobust is must for all panchayats, which will go for polls.

Sawang said the police personnel have to go the remote areas and it will not be possible to give vaccination shots to the police. HE recalled that 14,362 police personnel were infected with corona and 109 of them succumbed in the state during the height of pandemic. He said the police personnel faced professional hazard and stood on the roads during the pandemic time to save the lives of people in the state.