Upset over being housed in an “unsafe building with poor amenities” by the Punjab government, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has threatened to withdraw the security cover it provides to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and other top political leaders.
The CRPF Directorate General in New Delhi has served a notice to Punjab Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini, stating that if proper accommodation and allied facilities are not provided by October 10, the force would unilaterally start withdrawing its personnel from the afore mentioned duties.
The CRPF’s 13th Battalion, headquartered in Amritsar, has deployed four companies for providing security cover to the CM, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, some other specified leaders and heads of some religious sects.
The battalion’s commandant Rakesh Rao confirmed that the force headquarters had issued the notice to the Punjab police under intimation to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Chief Minister’s Office and the state’s secretary. The building allocated to the battalion in Amritsar was allocated to the CRPF during the days of militancy and is in a dilapidated state. A portion of the building had collapsed around two years ago, when several jawans had a narrow escape. Following this incident, the building was declared unsafe by the PWD.
CRPF officers said despite protracted correspondence and liaison with the Punjab police by the force’s top brass as well as a meeting between the CM and a Deputy Inspector General, no headway had been made towards getting proper accommodation. A senior CRPF officer said as per the standard operating procedure, accommodation with basic amenities has to be provided by the state in which the CRPF is deployed.
The CRPF Directorate General in New Delhi has served a notice to Punjab Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini, stating that if proper accommodation and allied facilities are not provided by October 10, the force would unilaterally start withdrawing its personnel from the afore mentioned duties.
The CRPF’s 13th Battalion, headquartered in Amritsar, has deployed four companies for providing security cover to the CM, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, some other specified leaders and heads of some religious sects.
The battalion’s commandant Rakesh Rao confirmed that the force headquarters had issued the notice to the Punjab police under intimation to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Chief Minister’s Office and the state’s secretary. The building allocated to the battalion in Amritsar was allocated to the CRPF during the days of militancy and is in a dilapidated state. A portion of the building had collapsed around two years ago, when several jawans had a narrow escape. Following this incident, the building was declared unsafe by the PWD.
CRPF officers said despite protracted correspondence and liaison with the Punjab police by the force’s top brass as well as a meeting between the CM and a Deputy Inspector General, no headway had been made towards getting proper accommodation. A senior CRPF officer said as per the standard operating procedure, accommodation with basic amenities has to be provided by the state in which the CRPF is deployed.
