UPSSF to ensure security of 7 new airports including Ayodhya
On Thursday, a senior official from the home department announced that the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, Sanjay Prasad, issued an order on October 20 regarding the deployment of UPSSF at these airports.
The Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF), a specialised dedicated force raised on the lines of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), will ensure security of seven newly constructed airports in Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Sonbhadra, Shravasti, Aligarh, Moradabad and Azamgarh.
On Thursday, a senior official from the home department announced that the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, Sanjay Prasad, issued an order on October 20 regarding the deployment of UPSSF at these airports. The order instructs the U.P. Director General of Police (DGP) to define the roles of UPSSF and local police and determine their respective responsibilities in security prior to the force’s deployment.
The UPSSF was made operational from September 1, 2022, with deployment of its 30 personnel at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow. This force is specially meant to provide security for VIP installations, different courts in U.P., airports, banks as well as metro stations. The state government has announced forming this force on December 31, 2019, in wake of sensational killing of a double murder accused in a courtroom in Bijnor district before chief judicial magistrate.
The UPSSF officials have confirmed that the first unit of trained commandos has been deployed at Lok Bhawan.
He further informed that the first batch of 200 UPSSF personnel were taken on deputation from Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and civil police has completed their nine months of special training at Sitapur police training college in August last year. He said the nine months of training include six months of regular training of commandos and three months of specialised training to guard VVIP installations, courts, airports, banks and metros by making them analyse risk factors at these places.
Another senior police official informed that the state government in April 2022 had sanctioned 5,124 posts of different ranks for UPSSF. He said as many as 87 posts were sanctioned for UPSSF headquarters in Lucknow and 5,037 posts for five companies, to be set up at Lucknow, Prayagraj, Mathura, Gorakhpur and Saharanpur.
According to the official, the headquarters received authorisation for the following positions: one additional director general, one inspector general, one deputy inspector general, one commandant, one reserve inspector, as well as six ministerial inspectors, 18 sub-inspectors, 12 head constables, and 40 constables.
The official further said the posts of five commandants and five deputy commandants each, along with 25 assistant commandants was sanctioned for five companies of UPSSF. He said the posts of 163 company commanders, 219 platoon commanders of sub-inspector rank, 853 armours/ head constables, 3,219 constables, 340 drivers, 18 sub-inspector (ministerial), 50 assistant sub-inspectors were also sanctioned. Besides, five medical officers and 10 pharmacists, five radio inspectors and 100 other posts for radio communication were sanctioned.
