The Punjab DGP had asked Senior Superintendents of Police of six districts of the state, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahar, Hoshiarpur and Moga, to set up police stations for NRIs.

The DGP had asked the SSPs to get buildings for these police stations constructed with immediate effect.

Sources said police are finding it difficult to zero in on policemen who can converse in English, especially those who are to be hired at the lower rungs.

Both, Ludhiana range DIG Ishwar Singh and SSP (Urban) R K Jaiswal, deny this. “We are doing everything to make the NRI police station functional by April 13. We are already in touch with the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority to acquire land for these police stations. English is also not posing any problem,” said DIG Ishwar Singh.

“Language is not a barrier. After all, the NRIs are also Punjabis. So I don’t think language will be any problem. As for as the functioning of the lower-rung personnel is concerned, we are giving them special training. Our main emphasis is on making the lower rung police personnel more sensitive towards NRIs’ problems,” said SSP R K Jaiswal.