Security staff to be reduced by one-third at DGP’s Jammu residence

JAMMU: The security staff at the Jammu residence of Director General of Police R R Swain will be reduced by one-third as Jammu and Kashmir Police has started an internal exercise to relieve additional personnel from the security duty of protected persons, an official said.

The decision to curtail the security strength at the DGP’s residence was taken on the recommendation of a three-member committee constituted for the purpose, with the improvement in the overall security situation and continuous decline in terror activities in the Union Territory, the official said.

The official said the move comes days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during an interview, said the central government has plans to pull back troops from Jammu and Kashmir and leave the work of law and order maintenance to the police.

The committee, headed by commanding officer of the 12th battalion of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) Rashmi Wazir and faving Senior Superintendent of Police, Security (Jammu) Shamsher Hussain and director police telecommunications Manoj Pandita as its members, had recommended for lowering the security guard at the Jammu residence of the DGP as the first instance, he said.

The DGP has accepted the recommendations and even suggested relieving the CRPF contingent guarding his residence in Srinagar for their further utilisation during the Lok Sabha elections which are taking place in five phases in Jammu and Kashmir beginning from Udhampur seat on April 19, the official said.

He said the police are concentrating more on the use of modern technology, including CCTV cameras, and intelligence gathering to ensure that the security of the protected persons are not compromised and there is zero tolerance against terror to improve overall security of commoners.

At least 25,000 police personnel have been shifted over the years for the protection of important persons including politicians and government officials.