Ex-legislators among nearly 500 politicians de-categorized by SRCC
MHA initiates measures to curb burgeoning SRE
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 3: Responding to the repeated directives of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, State Government has started withdrawal of over 2000 police personnel and 250 vehicles, which were given in excess to the entitlement of various protected persons across Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, nearly 500 persons irrespective of affiliation with national and state political parties besides separatists have been de-categorized in order to put an end to blatant misuse of the Security Related Expenditure (SRE).
However, no enquiry has so far been initiated to pin point the officers who had ordered deployment of such a large number of police personnel and vehicles on highly unjustifiable grounds and at the whims and fancies of the top politicians.
Click here to see list of de-categorized politicians, others
Highly placed sources told EXCELSIOR that reports about blatant misuse of Security Related Expenditure just for the appeasement of politicians of different political parties were being received by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs from different quarters during the past quite long time.
Accordingly, it was decided to put an end to the major drain on the exchequer and subsequently instructions were passed to the State Government to conduct a detailed exercise to ensure that only those persons who meet the security guidelines get the security personnel and vehicles and large scale illegalities committed in the past were rectified.
On the instructions of the MHA, Security Review Coordination Committee (SRCC) started detailed exercise and held series of meetings wherein cases of all the protected persons were reviewed in detail after obtaining necessary information from the intelligence agencies, sources said, adding even Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam convened Special Security Review meeting in the backdrop of latest directives of the MHA about reviewing the wastage of police resources in providing unnecessary security to a large number of persons.
Till date, over 2000 police personnel (PSOs and guard personnel) and 250 vehicles (Bullet Proof and Plain) have been ordered to be withdrawn from various protected persons. All these police personnel and vehicles were deployed in excess than the entitlement of the protected persons, sources said while disclosing that all the concerned authorities of different wings of the State Police have been furnished the lists for strict compliance within shortest possible time.
Moreover, nearly 500 protected persons have been de-categorized by the Security Review Coordination Committee while as security of over 270 protected persons has been revised on the basis of reports vis-a-vis threat perception, sources informed, adding it has been decided by the Security Review Coordination Committee that security in respect of over 750 protected persons will continue till fresh threat perception reports are received from the relevant quarters.
Stating that ongoing exercise of Security Review Coordination Committee has nothing to do with the elections and each case has been decided strictly in the light of the security related guidelines, sources disclosed that there was hardly any political party whose politicians and activists were not found enjoying undue security cover.
Giving details, they said that around 100 politicians and activists of the Congress Party have been de-categorized by the Security Review Coordination Committee followed by National Conference which faced de-categorization of its around 80 leaders and activists. Similarly, nearly 70 politicians of the Bharatiya Janata Party have been de-categorized while as around 30 leaders of People’s Democratic Party have faced de-categorization.
“Obtaining PSOs, vehicles and categorization was not a difficult task during the regime of successive Governments in the State and these were being considered as privileges to be obtained merely by putting little pressure on the top brass of the Police Department”, sources said, adding “even senior police officers were not having any hesitation in throwing to the winds the norms just for the appeasement of the politicians and to remain in their good books”.
They further disclosed that majority of the PSOs and guards, who were given in excess to the entitlement of the protected persons, were being used as domestic help at the cost of State exchequer. The hue and cry being raised by the politicians from whom the cops and vehicles have been withdrawn in large number, is only because they have been deprived of ‘free servants’, sources further said while disclosing that majority of such politicians had obtained PSOs and guards of their choice so that their services can be put to use as per their (politicians) convenience.
Some of the ex-MLAs and MLCs who have been de-categorized by the Security Review Coordination Committee include Faqir Nath of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, Thakur Randhir Singh of NCP, Mohammad Rashid Qureshi of PDP, Ch Noor Hussain, Syed Mushtaq Bukhari, Ab Aziz Wani, Harbans Singh, Mohammad Ikhlaq Khan, Mohammad Saleem Akhoon, Bushan Lal Bhat, Ram Paul, Mohammad Iqbal Bhat, Jagjeevan Lal, Gh Nabi Bhat, Brij Mohan Sharma, Firdous Syed, Abdul Rahim Dad, Abdul Wahid Shan and Farooq Ahmed Mir (all of NC), Gialchan Narboo, Amrit Malhotra, Ashok Kumar, T Namgial, Balwan Singh, Dharam Pal Sharma, Arvinder Singh Micky, Ghulan Nabi, Mula Ram, Yogesh Sawhney, Suman Lata Bhagat, Girdhari Lal Chalotra and Ghulam Raza (all of Congress Party), Som Nath Manyal of BSP, Prem Lal and Puran Singh of BJP.
Even former Mayors and Deputy Mayors, office bearers of different wings of various political parties, retired civil and police officers are among the list of persons who have been de-categorized.
“It is matter of serious concern that despite such a large scale loot of funds given to the State under Security Related Expenditure no enquiry has so far been initiated to pin point the officers who had ordered deployment of such a large number of police personnel on highly unjustifiable grounds and at the whims and fancies of the top politicians”, sources regretted, adding “this step is imperative so that in future nobody in the Police Department dares to confer undue benefit upon the politicians at the cost of the exchequer”.
They further said that when Election Commission of India visited the State to review preparedness for the polls, the State Government expressed inability to spare police personnel for election duties but on the other side such a large number of cops and vehicles were being misused at the behest of the politicians.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
