Punjab Police Revamps Dial 112 with ₹178 Crore Upgrade to Slash Emergency Response Time to 8 Minutes
— CM Bhagwant Mann’s Government Commits ₹125 Cr for ERV Fleet Expansion, ₹53 Cr for Cutting-Edge Dial 112 Headquarters
— DGP Gaurav Yadav Leads ERSS Steering Committee Meeting
— Four Core Emergency Services Set for Integration, Announces DGP
— 165 New Smartphones Boost ERV Efficiency, Says Spl DGP Arpit Shukla
Chandigarh, March 28:
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab Government has allocated ₹178 crore to overhaul its Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), popularly known as Dial 112. The Punjab Police is spearheading this ambitious upgrade, aiming to integrate four key emergency services—Police, Health, Fire, and Disaster Management—into a streamlined network, reducing response times from 25 minutes to an impressive 8 minutes, setting a new standard nationwide.
As part of the ‘Badalda Punjab’ Budget for 2025-26, ₹125 crore has been earmarked for expanding the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) fleet and modernizing district control rooms, while ₹53 crore is dedicated to building a state-of-the-art Dial 112 headquarters.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, who chaired the ERSS State-Level Steering Committee meeting, outlined the overhaul’s three-pronged strategy. First, technological integration will ensure seamless coordination between departments, automatically directing Dial 112 calls to the relevant service—be it police, medical, fire, or disaster response.
Second, mobility is being prioritized with a massive expansion of the ERV fleet, including 758 four-wheelers and 916 two-wheelers. The initial phase of 300 vehicles is slated to be operational by June 2025. Currently, with only 258 ERVs, response times average 25 minutes—a gap this expansion aims to bridge.
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Third, a futuristic Dial 112 headquarters is under construction, equipped with AI-driven call analytics, GIS tracking, and integrated dispatch systems. DGP Yadav noted that the facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026.
“This initiative will create a centralized command hub where all Dial 112 distress calls are efficiently routed to the appropriate department—108 for medical emergencies, 101 for fire incidents, or 1070 for disasters,” the DGP explained. Dedicated workstations for each service will operate 24/7 at the control room.
Special DGP Law and Order Arpit Shukla, a committee member, informed the DGP that 165 new smartphones have been recently deployed to ERVs to enhance response efficiency. Alongside existing Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs), these dual-SIM devices ensure uninterrupted connectivity, even during network failures. He added that Dial 112 has handled over 2.34 crore calls and registered 20.05 lakh cases to date, underscoring its critical role in public safety.
With this ₹178 crore transformation, Punjab Police is poised to revolutionize emergency response, delivering faster, smarter, and more coordinated support to citizens across the state.
