‘Modify procedure, take DGP’s views’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 9: Governor Satya Pal Malik today called upon the Security Review Coordination Committee (SRCC) to hold immediate meeting and review cases of political persons, who have lost their security or were de-categorized and provide necessary security to deserving cases. He directed the SRCC to complete the process immediately.
An official handout issued today said the Governor as well as the Central Government have directed that the SRCC will continue to further examine and review requirement of security cover on case to case basis, based on met.
“The Governor has further directed that the SRCC should meet immediately to review cases of political persons, who lost their security/were de-categorizes or whose security cover was downgraded and provide necessary security to deserving cases. This will be done immediately by the SRCC,” the handout said.
It added that this will be done immediately by the SRCC.
Further, the handout said, Malik has directed that the procedure for providing security should be modified. He has also directed that views of Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh will be put up for approval to the Governor or the Chief Minister through the Chief Secretary as is the case in most of the State. This is particularly relevant as the DGP is not involved in the process at present.
“The work of the SRCC is an ongoing one and it will continue to review security requirements of individuals as and when necessary,” the Government handout said.
It added that there has been a lot of discussion in the media over the provision, modification and withdrawal of security to protectees in the State.
A lot of this is based on hearsay, without knowledge of the process adopted for determining security needs of individuals, the handout said.
The State has a Security Review Coordination Committee, which determines the security categorization of those requiring separate security and vehicles.
“The primary consideration for providing security to protectees is based on threat perception. Further, there are guidelines contained in the `Yellow Book’ issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. In J&K, the additional aspect of militancy is factored in by indicating the security that would be provided in militancy affected areas. Based on these factors, the SRCC takes decisions on the level of security to be provided to various protectees,” the handout said.
In the last one year, owing to a large proportion of State police resources getting tied up in providing security to individuals at the cost of the general security environment, the SRCC undertook an exercise to revisit the security categorization of protectees, it pointed out.
“As has been reported in the media, based on a press release from MHA, a large number of protectees were either decategorised or their security reduced, based on their ‘threat perception’. Since the Governor’s rule in the State, this has freed 2,768 police personnel and 389 vehicles, many of which were in excess of entitlement,” it added.
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