Chandigarh, July 12 -- Following the spurt in crime in Haryana and the Opposition political parties accusing the state government of failing to maintain law and order situation, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini directed the police to work with "full alertness and readiness" so that the citizens feel secure and confident. Saini chaired a high-level meeting on law and order late Thursday evening and directed senior officers that the law and order situation must remain intact throughout the state and that any disruption should be dealt with swiftly and firmly. A government spokesperson said that the chief minister took serious note of "ransom/extortion cases", and issued stringent directions, making it clear that such heinous crimes would not be tolerated under any circumstances. "Negligence in crime control would not be tolerated under any circumstances. Immediate action must be taken to curb such cases, and the strictest punishment should be ensured for the culprits," Saini said, adding that police administration must work with full alertness and readiness so that the common citizen feels secure and confident in the police's role as a guardian of safety. He said each police station should track crime patterns and respond swiftly to any rise in criminal incidents. Accountability should be ensured not only at the district level but also at the police station level, said the chief minister. Saini said that the state government is committed to providing a safe environment for women and instructed the police to act diligently. He said the state government is taking all necessary steps to achieve a 'Drug-Free Haryana' and that police should take strict action against drug peddlers. Drug-related cases at police stations should be regularly reviewed, and the prosecution process should be expedited to ensure swift punishment for offenders. The chief minister directed all superintendents of police to clearly inform their field staff that any police personnel found consuming alcohol on duty or in uniform would face the strictest possible action. The Haryana government on Friday said that qualified youth will be hired as "chief minister engineering project quality monitors" to oversee engineering works, ensuring quality and timely completion of various ongoing development projects throughout the state. This decision was taken during a meeting of the Quality Assurance Authority (QAA) held under the chairmanship of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, who stated that the state government is committed to maintaining high quality in development projects and said that any compromise on quality will not be tolerated at any cost. Stating that young professionals will bring greater zeal and enthusiasm to support the government in achieving this goal, he said that Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) qualified candidates could be hired for this work....