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Punjab gives more security to VIPs than Central norms
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17
The state government seems to believe in not only providing security over and above Central norms, but also allowing district police chiefs to allocate security cover despite having a security wing, which is entrusted with this responsibility.

According to sources, the security cover for Z, Y and X protectees identified by the union ministry of home affairs in Punjab is much more than the norms recommended by the Centre.

According to norms, in case of Z category protectees, the government must provide between two or eight armed guards, two personal security officers round-the-clock, an armed escort of between one to three persons in two shifts and one watcher at a time in two shifts.

If the recommendations on the higher side are taken into consideration, Z category protectees should have a maximum security of around 18 persons.

However, this is not the case with a few of the Z category protectees, who are having much more security than recommended. The Z category protectees in the state include Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who has a security of 35 personnel, BJP minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Punjab Kesri head Vijay Chopra, Spokesman newspaper head Joginder Singh and religious leaders Piara Singh Bhaniarawala and Ashutosh Maharaj.

Norms are not followed even in the case of Y and X category protectees. In the case of Y category protectees, it is recommended that an armed guard of one to four security personnel be stationed at their residence. Besides, the persons under this category are entitled to two personal security officers in three shifts. The protectees include four kin of late Chief Minister Beant Singh, two religious leaders and two politicians.

The X category protectees in the state, including two newspaper owners and an editor, are entitled to one or four armed guards at their residence.

Besides this, Z+ security cover is being given to six VIPs, including the state Governor, the Chief Minister, SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, K. P. S. Gill and Maninderjit Singh Bitta, for which the recommendations are flexible.

While the threat perception to persons enjoying security cover at the Centre is well monitored, there seems to be a great discretion on protection given by the state government.

Though there is a laid down process for providing security with the ADGP, the security responsible for this sources said a number of people had still managed to get extensive security cover.

District police chiefs are also known to depute personnel on security duties at their level. DGP NPS Aulakh when questioned on this said the state was competent to frame its own policies for assigning protection duties. He said a review of the security cover given to various persons was conducted last year and that a fresh review would be conducted this year also. He said besides this, district police chiefs had also been asked to give certificates in case they had given security cover to anyone in their area.

Make 25% cut: Badal
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Hoshiar Nagar (Amritsar), December 17
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said the SAD would continue to fight for the transfer of Chandigarh and other left-out Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab as mentioned in the Anandpur Sahib Resolution.

Replying to a query, Badal said he had asked the police chief of the state to withdraw 25 per cent security cover provided to important persons to ensure sufficient availability of police personnel for general policing.

Badal was here to lay the foundation stone of SGPC’s Shaheed Baba Jiwan Singh Girls Degree College here today. He said the SAD would also strive for greater autonomy to states.

He appealed to the voters of Majha and Doaba to repeat history in the coming parliamentary elections. Without referring to the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda, who voted in favour of the Congress, Badal admitted that the Assembly results in the Malwa region were not on expected lines due to certain reasons.

Meanwhile, decks have been cleared for the setting up a world-class university in Amritsar as a high-level Central team will visit the city on December 25 to select land for the Rs 1,000-crore project. Besides, a Central university, Indian Institute of Management and Dhiru Bhai Ambani Institute of Information Technology are being set up at Bathinda, Mohali and Ropar, respectively.

The Chief Minister said it was the NDA government that granted Rs 3,000 per acre annual compensation to those farmers of border belt whose land was across the fencing. Badal held the Congress responsible for the anti-Sikh riots, Operation Bluestar and for having failed to safeguarding the state’s rights to river waters and electricity, etc.

Earlier, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amritsar MP, held the Congress responsible for a huge debt on the state and assured that in case of change in guard at the Centre he would ensure a minimum of Rs 2,000-crore special package for the development of border belt. He promised to the voters of the Attari constituency that on being re-elected as MP from Amritsar, he would give his first year’s total discretionary funds for the development of the constituency.

Cabinet minister Gulzar Singh Ranike demanded block status for Attari. Charnjit Singh Attwal, deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha, Desh Raj Dhuga, chief parliamentary secretary, Gurdev Singh Badal, former minister, Hans Raj Hans, SAD-BJP candidate from Jalandhar, Malkiat Singh, MLA, Bawa Singh Gumanpura, president of the SAD Amritsar (Urban), and Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the SGPC, were also present.