The Assam government has decided to remove and streamline security cover of 364 people in the state who were being provided with personal security officers (PSOs) from the police force.
The decision was taken at the recent meeting of the state security review committee (SSRC) held on January 21. Usually review of security cover provided to individuals from all categories is done every six months.
The move to rationalize the existing security cover to individuals including politicians, former bureaucrats, police officers, businessmen and former militants came after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared last month that the PSOs shouldn’t be used as status symbols.
“PSOs can’t become a status symbol. Security needs to be categorized and depending on the requirement and threat perception, PSOs would be allotted,” the CM had said in his first press conference of the year on January 1.
Last week, the state cabinet had decided to reduce the size the of CM’s convoy from 22 vehicles to 6 within Guwahati metropolitan area and to 12 in other parts of the state-excluding pilot and escort vehicles.
Stating that members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party don’t need security cover as they had not indulged in wrong doings, Sarma had appealed to party leaders to give up their PSOs.
{{/usCountry}}Stating that members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party don’t need security cover as they had not indulged in wrong doings, Sarma had appealed to party leaders to give up their PSOs.
{{/usCountry}}Following his request, over 50 such protectees including leaders of BJP units, sitting and former elected representatives in the state have voluntarily decided to give up or reduce their security cover.
“On February 1, I gave up all the 3 PSOs allotted to me by the state. Following the CM’s appeal and considering the improved security scenario in the state due to the ongoing ceasefire by United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), I feel safe,” said sitting BJP MLA from Mariani, Rupjyoti Kurmi.
Earlier all former ministers, MPs, MLAs, retired senior bureaucrats and police officers used to get PSOs as part of procedure, but the SSRC meeting decided that from now on security cover would be provided only after review of actual threat perception to a particular individual.
“The security situation in the state is much better now. Hence it was decided to remove or streamline security cover of 364 individuals and remove 531 PSOs, 47 escorts, 4 lead security personnel and 144 house guards who were engaged at their service,” said additional DGP (special branch) Hiren Chandra Nath.
Earlier nearly 4,000 police personnel in the state were engaged in providing security cover to nearly 1200 persons across the state. Now that figure has come down following the latest SSRC decision.
“This is an ongoing process. Security cover of more individuals would be removed or streamlined in future,” informed Nath.