Chandigarh, Mar 27 (IANS): Punjab Police on Friday scaled up its relief operations across the state through the distribution of nearly 1.9 lakh food packets and set up medical camps in various districts, while facilitating the movement of about 3000 trucks carrying essentials.

Even as the police continued to clear the 1600-odd applications received from individuals for the curfew pass, they were also working on introducing new kinds of passes like an inter-state critical emergency transit pass, covering the states of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.

A total of 42,515 police personnel across ranks, along with volunteers, were on the ground to enforce curfew and maintain essential supplies as well as law and order, a government statement said.

A total of 79 first information reports (FIRs) were registered and 104 people arrested in past 24 hours for curfew violations and violation of quarantine guidelines.

Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said 112 police emergency number that has been transformed into Curfew Helpline had received 17,000 calls in 24 hours, of which 10,699 calls related to queries regarding Covid-19 and or other information.

Giving details of the e-pass facility, the DGP said for a large number of the 1,600 applications received, passes have been granted.

A few have been rejected while others are still under process, he added.

Community kitchens have now been set up in three slum areas of Ludhiana (rural) police district.

In Ludhiana (rural) district, food packets were distributed to around 1,600 people while cooked meals were served to around 12,000 people.