Police allocates Rs36m for mounted force
At least Rs36 million have been allocated for buying dietary items and feeding of horses used for training purpose of the mounted police force at Elite Police Training School Bedian Road.
The amount during the on-going financial year will be spent on the purchase of a special diet for horses.
The food items included 54,237 kilogrammes of maize, 10,547 kilogrammes of the ground maize, 48,212 kilogrammes of ground black grams, 120 kilogrammes of special salt, 160 kilogrammes of gurh, 9,040 kilogrammes of ground grass, 1,474 kilogrammes of coconut oil, 259,200 kilogrammes of green fodder and 16,740 kilogrammes of rice plants.
The horses, used for mounted force, are fed with special food. Since 2016, the Punjab Police has been investing and focusing to upgrade the mounted force.
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For the purpose, special officers have been engaged through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) exams. At least 10 master trainers were also sent to Turkey for training.
In 2016 as part of the up-gradation of the mounted force, the police department had also purchased 92 new horses.
A plan to merge mounted force and anti-riot force was also devised. At a few police establishments such as Faisalabad, it was implemented on the ground to a considerable level also.
The other items to be purchases with the spending of Rs36 million included 80 special rope, red polish, 40 pieces of hard brush other items.
Around 20-25 horses had been provided to each range of nine ranges across Punjab. Lahore’s mounted force wing consisted of up to 50 horses.
The horses are served at least two meals a day.
For the last couple of years, the stables for horses across Punjab had also gone through the up-gradation process.
Right after the inception of Police Department by British in Punjab (subcontinent) in the 1860s, the wing of mounted force was established.
Initially, only the officers of sub-inspector or the above rank officers were granted with a horse. The purpose was patrolling.
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It was considered a status symbol as well for showing dominance among the public.
With the passage of time, the mounted force was replaced with modern vehicles including bicycles, motorcycles, cars and jeeps etc.
However, still, during modern times, these were still considered part of police as patrolling is considered incomplete without the mounted force.
They are used for reaching out for manning the places where modern vehicles could not reach such as narrow streets, barren lands, agricultural lands, riversides and rugged lands.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2020.