Chandigarh, Aug 21
To make emergency services more accessible and efficient, the Punjab Police said on Thursday that they have integrated the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) helpline '1033' and the cyber crime helpline '1930' with the dial 112, state's unified emergency response system.
This integration now allows citizens to simply dial '112' to report highway accidents, breakdowns, and hazards, as well as financial frauds and cybercrimes.
The initiative, implemented under the directions of Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, brings multiple critical services under a single-window platform, ensuring quicker and easier access to support.
Earlier, people had to call at specific helpline number to report fraud or road accident, making difficult for them to memorise different helpline numbers.
Till now, '112' helpline was only used to report different crimes happening across the state.
"Now, whether you are a road user in distress on a highway or a victim of cyber fraud, a single call to 112 is all it takes. Your case will be instantly transferred between systems for faster action, eliminating duplication and cutting delays," said Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, who has been directly supervising the dial '112' service.
He noted that all highway distress calls dialing either '112' or '1033' are now linked in real-time to both police resources and the NHAI, ensuring prompt action.
The victims of cybercrime can also dial '112' or '1930', where their complaints are directly registered into the National Cybercrime Portal by specially trained cyber dispatchers stationed at the dial '112' control room.
Terming dial '112' as the nerve centre of Punjab's emergency response, Special DGP Shukla said this integration has transformed it into a truly unified platform covering police, fire, ambulance, disaster, highway safety, and cybercrime under one roof.
He highlighted the system is backed by round-the-clock emergency response vehicles and 144 dedicated Sadak Surakhya Force vehicles deployed across the state and on highways for rapid intervention.
He said the state government has placed the highest priority on this service, sanctioning a budget of Rs 100 crore for new emergency response vehicles and Rs 53 crore for a dedicated dial '112' headquarters building, paving the way for one of the country's most advanced and citizen-focused emergency response systems.