New director general of Chandigarh Police Surendra Kumar Yadav said on Monday that the force was ready to ensure peaceful and impartial conduct of Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory.

He added the UT police was one of the best forces in the country and was revered for its discipline. Vowing to carry forward the legacy, Yadav said he believed in interaction with cops at all ranks and in developing a strong information network.

“In our college days, we used to be in impressed by the traffic police in the city and those standards are maintained till now,” he said.

Yadav added that policing is not rocket science, but a service. “My expectations from the force are clear, to serve city residents with honesty,” he said.

The new DGP, who took charge on Saturday just before the model code of conduct was implemented, said he would focus on welfare activities in the force. “I understand the importance of active coordination with the police force of Mohali and Panchkula,” he said.

Yadav is a 1997-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa -Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre. Yadav’s predecessor, Praveer Ranjan, was given a farewell on Friday.

“I expect police personnel at the station-level to interact with the public beyond the specified meeting times. Seva bhaav (a sense of service) is a component that should reflect in your behaviour while dealing with the public. Chandigarh is a small city and nothing can be hidden here. I have the habit of interacting with everyone, irrespective of their rank or status. Hence, I cultivate a strong ground intelligence network at every place,” Yadav said.

In the evening, the DGP chaired a meeting with all the inspectors and deputy superintendents of police and briefed them to maintain transparency and discipline in their work.