Sukhu announces Rs 30-cr road safety command centre in Hamirpur; major anti-drug campaign on cards
TNR News Network
Shimla: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday (November 4, 2025) flagged off 66 new patrol vehicles for deployment across 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh, marking a significant push toward strengthening road safety and police infrastructure in the state.
The vehicles, purchased at a cost of Rs 18.42 crore, include 35 electric vehicles, 14 interceptor vehicles, 10 wrecker vehicles and seven four-wheel-drive diesel vehicles. They will be stationed in various police stations across Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur, Kullu, Sirmaur, Solan and Chamba districts.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the state government’s priority was not just to reduce road accidents but to develop a safe and disaster-resilient transport system. He noted that road accident figures had consistently declined over the past three years, a trend he attributed to coordinated efforts by the police, transport, PWD, health and infrastructure departments.
Sukhu said the introduction of wrecker vehicles would ensure quick clearance of accident sites and early restoration of traffic flow. He also announced that the government would soon establish a state-of-the-art Road Safety Control and Command Centre in Hamirpur at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
“The new control centre will be a key component of the integrated road safety enforcement system and will be connected to modern surveillance cameras being installed across the state,” he said. The system will enable e-challans, real-time traffic monitoring, and enhanced discipline on roads, apart from generating additional revenue for the state, he added.
Under the Himachal Pradesh State Road Transformation Project, the government is also spending Rs 60 crore to procure 3,373 road safety enforcement devices for the police department, to be distributed among 10 districts.
Emphasising the government’s focus on modernisation, the Chief Minister said, “The police department is being equipped with state-of-the-art technology to make Himachal Pradesh Police number one in the country.” He added that 1,200 constables had been recruited and the B-1 promotion test was being conducted after a gap of eight years.
Sukhu lauded the police department for its work in tackling the drug menace and said a major statewide anti-drug campaign would be launched shortly.
Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Vice-Chairman of State Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania, MLAs Sanjay Awasthi, Neeraj Nair, Vivek Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary KK Pant, Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari, and other dignitaries were present at the event.
