Even after a month of the strict order of Chief Secretary Rajiv Gauba to curtail misutilisation of police resources, the government machinery seems to have not moved an inch to remove extra cop cover from the houses of IAS and IPS officials. Ironically enough, the administration has not been able to fix the parameters on which they would decide ‘excessive’ security deployment at an official’s house.
While reviewing the work of state police department on November 26, Gauba had strictly ordered that no policeman should be deployed in any way as a household help in any officer’s house. He had also ordered the Home Guards deployed at various residences to be relocated to law and order or security duty.
The CS had directed to hold periodic review to be undertaken of deployment of bodyguards/house guards. “Provision of bodyguards to a person cannot be automatic but has to be based on the threat perception,” the CS had said.
Ironically, the order and directions seem to have been grossly ignored as the “yardstick” to determine the optimum number of policemen to be deployed at a particular official’s house has yet not been determined. Ranchi SSP Prabhat Kumar said, “The yardstick depicting the number of policemen to be deputed to an official of certain rank has not yet been released by the police headquarters. As soon as it reaches us ... We will implement it. It has already been reviewed a few days back as per the list available to us,” said the SSP.
However, ADG (Operations) and State Police Spokesperson SN Pradhan said that they would soon finalise the numbers. “A meeting will be held this week only to decide how many people an official requires according to his rank so that it becomes a rule for future, according to which officials will be provided security. Before that a physical verification is to be done at each of the official’s residence following which a yardstick will be set and extra force will be withdrawn,” said Pradhan.
The DGP also asserted that a report from Special Branch was awaited following which action will be taken in this regard.
“Threat based analysis by the security wing of Special Branch is being done following which it will submit a report to the police headquarter and on the basis of which desired action will be taken in this regard,” said DGP DK Pandey.
Bodyguard -1: A security guard stands vigil a government official's quarter in Ranchi on Tuesday. Pix by – Vinay Murmu