There is nothing like an impending election to loosen sarkari purse strings. Ruling parties and their governments have made a fine art of early announcement of schemes and projects to avoid the Election Commission throwing the “model code of conduct” at them. Happily, things are a little different in Punjab this time around. Not that there will be any shunning of the vote-garnering sops, just that among the matters for which finance has been made available are providing the police – at least some members of the force – a welcome and overdue upgrade of equipment. Sure it could be argued that the netas will be the prime beneficiaries, but a positive element could be a demand from more cops for the goodies.

It has been decided that instead of three run-down vehicles, there will soon be five SUVs that are being bullet-proofed to transport the VIPs on their campaign trails. More importantly, orders have been placed for several hundred bullet-proof patkas: the headgear has been specially designed and offers protection to the forehead and sides of the head, so as to counter the fragmentation ammunition that is being increasingly used by terrorist outfits. Also on the cards are a limited number of mobile water-cannon, several lightly-armoured vehicles, including tractors that are used in rural areas (courtesy KPS Gill), and hundreds of bullet-proof jackets.

Clearly the cops have learnt from the babus how to exploit VIP security to obtain what they desire. For almost all the equipment being procured can be used to counter criminal elements (they are not always politically motivated), drug-runners and so on. While that equipment-upgrade is welcome, the state government needs to explain why only an upcoming election jolted it into action.

The authorities are making much of the customised bullet-proof patkas, which it is claimed will not compromise religious traditions that do not approve of headgear other than the normal turban – even crash-helmets are taboo for those riding motor-cycles or scooters. Did it really require images of policemen sans protective headgear to be seen on television during the terrorist strike at the air force base in Pathankot to draw attention to the vulnerability of the rank and file? If the cops in Jammu and Kashmir could have been issued pellet-guns six years ago, why did their counterparts in Punjab have to await a poll for specialised headgear when it is common knowledge that the vast majority of policemen in the state are Sikhs who do not like using normal helmets – and when some Army personnel have been using patkas for years? The harsh truth is that politicians – across the board – seldom think that the police are entitled to some consideration.