Bihar amends Special Security Group Act for better administration of elite force

The Bihar legislative assembly on Tuesday amended the Bihar Special Security Group Act for better administration of the Special Security Group which guards the chief

The Bihar legislative assembly on Tuesday amended the Bihar Special Security Group Act for better administration of the Special Security Group which guards the chief minister and former chief ministers of the state

The amendment came a day after the Centre downgraded the protection for Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad from Z plus to Z category. (PTI Photo)

The provisions under the amended law will allow creation of new posts for the elite force. The amendment came a day after the Centre downgraded the protection for Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad from Z plus to Z category.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar and former chief ministers Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and Jitan Ram Manjhi are covered under the SSGA. Prasad has 84 SSG personnel to protect him, while Manji has more than 50 personnel at his houses in Patna and Gaya. The SSG has 531 personnel.

The amended law allows for creation of the posts of inspector general (security), DIG (security), commandant, deputy commandant and few assistant commandants.

The opposition RJD and Congress protested the amendment saying there was no need for it at a time when the state was reeling under severe shortage of police personnel and police stations.

“We already have a big force. What is the need for additional recruitments?” asked RJD senior leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui.

Congress member Ramdeo Rai also echoed similar views.

“What is the need for additional security for CM and former CMs when they are already getting high security cover?” Rai asked.

The government insisted that the Act wasn’t amended for more recruitment.

“The amendment in the existing SSG Act was aimed to make the elite force more effective by creating a separate cell to help top officials monitor deployment of personnel and track the movement of chief minister and former chief ministers. There will be no new recruitment of personnel as posts are already sanctioned,” said Energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav who piloted the bill.

While RJD members also raised the issue of the curtailment of security of Prasad by the Centre, the energy minister clarified that the withdrawal of NSG protection to Prasad was a decision taken by the Union government and the state had no role in it.

“Even the chief minister is not classified in Z or Z plus category security cover. He never asked for it,” Yadav said.

The minister also informed the House that the state provided security cavalcades to Prasad and Manjhi and followed all security parameters whenever they went on tours within the state.