Chandigarh, Sept. 12 — The Chandigarh Administration’s Standing Committee on Law and Order held its first meeting on Friday under the chairmanship of Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, who urged the city to adopt advanced technology and preventive policing to match global standards of safety and security.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Kanwardeep Kaur, former mayor Kuldeep Kumar, Chandigarh Traders Association president Kamaljit Singh Panchi, Chandigarh Hotel-Restaurant Association chairman Manmohan Singh, and Yudhveer Singh Kaura were among those present. The committee reviewed issues ranging from cybercrimes and missing children to drug abuse, traffic management, and night patrolling.
Sandhu said Chandigarh should aim to become a “Centre of Excellence in policing and security on the lines of Singapore, Tokyo and Dubai.” He urged the police to prepare a roadmap for adopting advanced tools such as artificial intelligence, facial and voice recognition to curb crime. “Technology will play a big role in the future. Chandigarh, being an ideal pilot city, should lead in implementing such solutions,” he remarked.
Citing previous initiatives, he noted that the Union government had already chosen Chandigarh for pioneering projects such as the Land Stack Project and implementation of the new criminal laws (BNS). “The city has always been the first choice of the Government of India for pilot projects. We should prepare a 10-year traffic management plan and build infrastructure accordingly,” he added.
On cybercrime, Sandhu expressed alarm that “India ranks 10th globally, with many victims, particularly senior citizens, going unreported.” He directed the SSP to present data on cybercrime cases registered and solved in Chandigarh at the next meeting. He also called for stricter monitoring of outsiders entering the city, along with measures to counter snatching, thefts, and begging at traffic lights.
The MP devoted significant attention to drug abuse, urging the police to focus on parks frequented by addicts and strengthen rehabilitation facilities. “We must make Chandigarh a zero-tolerance, drug-free city. This campaign should be on the lines of the polio immunization program,” he said. When SSP Kaur mentioned that stigma drives many addicts to centers outside the UT, Sandhu called for solutions to tackle the issue.
Rehabilitation centers, he insisted, must be equipped with all necessary facilities. He also pressed for operational beat boxes, enhanced night patrolling, fixed closing hours for night clubs, CCTV coverage of blind spots, and campaigns to trace missing children. The committee was informed that of 870 children reported missing between 2019 and 2024, 813 have been traced.
Sandhu also underscored the importance of language rights, calling for Punjabi signboards across the city in line with government orders. “It is a very sensitive issue. Punjabi should be given due prominence alongside Hindi and English. It will be of great help to people,” he said.
The meeting further reviewed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which Sandhu described as “a landmark move to shield citizens from predatory money games.” He proposed awareness campaigns involving NGOs, educational institutions, and think tanks to protect youth from addiction and financial ruin.
Other participants suggested closer coordination between police and Resident Welfare Associations, better patrolling in industrial areas, secrecy for informants on drug dealers, and common police control rooms. Traders’ representatives also called for stronger traffic management and theft checks, while hoteliers pressed for data collection on senior citizens and wider awareness on cybercrimes.
“Chandigarh has always been a model city,” Sandhu concluded. “With modern policing, community participation, and a preventive approach, it can set new benchmarks in law and order.”
