Uttarakhand Becomes 16th State To Receive President’s Police Colour

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the President's Police Colour presentation ceremony for the Uttarakhand Police on Friday at the Reserve Police Lines here. Uttarakhand has become the 16th state in the country to receive this distinction. Shah inspected the police parade and conferred the President's Police Colour on the Uttarakhand Police.

"This honour, awarded in recognition of 25 years of service, discipline, devotion to duty, and exemplary work by the state police force, marks a historic achievement for the Uttarakhand Police," the state government statement said. Congratulating the Uttarakhand Police, the Union Home Minister Shah said this is a moment of pride for every police officer and personnel in the state. "The Uttarakhand Police has established a distinct identity through its spirit of service, discipline, and unwavering devotion to duty," he said.

The Union Home Minister said ensuring the safety of the large number of pilgrims and tourists who visit annually, as well as managing major events like the Char Dham Yatra and the Kumbh, is a crucial responsibility of the Uttarakhand Police -- a duty its personnel discharge with utmost dedication. Shah noted that the Uttarakhand Police made commendable efforts to implement the three new criminal laws effectively. He said a target has been set to ensure the conviction of offenders within three years for cases registered after May 2027.

"To achieve this, work is underway to digitally interconnect police, the judiciary, the prosecution, and other relevant agencies. This will pave the way for the general public to receive timely justice," Shah said. He paid tribute to the 206 personnel of the Uttarakhand Police who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. He remarked that the Uttarakhand Police, which began with about 13,000 personnel, has now grown to over 26,000. "Amid the state's challenging geographical terrain, frequent natural disasters, and a steadily increasing influx of tourists, police have consistently demonstrated courage, sensitivity, and dedication.

The role played by police personnel in relief and rescue operations during disasters has been exemplary," Shah said. Dhami congratulated all the officers and personnel of the Uttarakhand Police for receiving the President's Police Colour. He said this honour serves as national recognition of the Uttarakhand Police's courage, dedication to duty, discipline, and public service. During the event, the Union Home Minister presented the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service to retired Inspector General of Police Narayan Singh Napalchayal and Chief Fire Officer Vansh Bahadur Yadav.

He also awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service to Superintendent of Police Jagdish Chandra, Assistant Commandant Pratima Bhatt, and retired Sub-Inspector (Intelligence) Souhakar Pundir. The Union Home Minister and the chief minister unveiled a special postal cover and a police magazine dedicated to the Uttarakhand Police.