Guv, CM placed in Z category, special security unit for VIPs protection soon

Shillong, Nov 30: Meghalaya governor RS Mooshahary, chief minister Mukul Sangma have been placed in Z category security ring while former Lok Sabha speaker and National People’s Party (NPP) leader Purno A Sangma, Opposition leader Conrad Sangma, former deputy chief minister Deborah Marak, Community & Rural Development minister Saleng A Sangma and some other politicians belonging to Garo hills are also said to figure in the list prepared by the police.

With increasing threat perception to the political VIPs from militant groups in Garo hills, the Meghalaya government is in the process of forming a separate special security unit headed by an additional Director General of Police (ADGP) even as the government has directed the police department to review the threat on various politicians hailing from Garo hill in the wake the attack on two political leaders and categorized them accordingly.

After receiving the detail report on the attack to former deputy chief minister and Meghalaya Congress working president Deborah Marak from East Garo hills district police, state chief secretary WMS Pariat held a meeting with Principal Secretary (Home) KS Kropha, Commissioner & Secretary (Home) Jopthiaw Lyngdoh, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Rajiv Mehta and Additional DGP Tennyson Dkhar Thursday evening and directed the police to scale up its intelligence gathering and ensure that nobody has the opportunity to assault or abuse ministers, legislators, politicians and other VIPs.

Taking into consideration the growing threat to politicians, the Meghalaya government has already initiated the process of forming a separate security unit to look exclusively into the security of the VIPs –politicians and bureaucrats- travelling to Garo hills.

A home department official told this reporter that the government had already sent two batches of Personal Security Officers (PSOs) to scale up their training in handling firearms, weapons and also different security drills so that they become specialists in protecting VIPS.

As of now an additional SP of the Special Branch of Meghalaya police is looking after the VIPs security. The police also have been directed to take up confidence building exercise in Garo hills by regularly conducting checking and nakabandi in different routes in Garo hills and make adequate police presence in different parts of Garo hills.

The police have also been directed to make a “realistic assessment” of the security needs in Garo hills and according report to the state government so that it can take up with the union home ministry before the assembly election is announced. – By Our Reporter