For the first time since 2003, Gujarat police personnel will be honoured with service medals in an official award-giving ceremony. Chief Minister Narendra Modi will present the medals to over 170 cops and 40 home guard officials of the state on February 15 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Highly-placed sources in the state home department said, “These awards have been announced by the President and the Governor as appreciation of police personnel' services to society. It includes officials from the rank of police constable to the additional director-general of police. Every year awards are declared at the time of Independence Day and Republic Day. Now, there are no standard operating procedures for awarding the medals by any particular dignitary.”
Sources in Police Bhavan told DNA that so far no such event has ever taken place where cops have been given the President’s medal for their services. They said the awardees had to collect the medals from New Delhi after their announcement. “No awards were ever given in such a programme by anyone for the last decade,” the sources said.
