New Delhi: Following the completion of familiarisation and ‘on-the-job’ training of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, the government has started inducting specially trained security personnel for the protection of Parliament from Tuesday. In a letter addressed to the joint secretary (security) in Parliament Anurag Agarwal, the CISF DIG said that seven duties/facilities may be handed over to the CISF from May 14 onwards.
The letter issued on Monday with the subject line “Security of Parliament House Complex” stated that pass-checking and flap gates in all the buildings of the Parliament House Complex may be handed over to the CISF from May 14.
The letter in possession of ETV Bharat noted the responsibility of six other core areas like anti-sabotage check, dogs of dog squad, CCTV control rooms, the vehicular access control at TKR I/II, PLB IG-I & IG-I, communication control room, pass section: CPIC-Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha, D&T branch and all reception counters of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha with CCS T Operations may be handed over to the CISF on May 15 and May 20.
In another letter issued to the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, CISF IG Meenakshi Sharma said that following directives of the Home Ministry to deploy 3,317 personnel on IS duty pattern for the security of Parliament House Complex (PHC), the said force will be deployed by May 15 after the completion of the training of the security personnel.
The CISF has already deployed 383 personnel in two phases (146 personnel from January 22 and 237 personnel from March 28) for access control and fire, the letter mentioned. “In this regard, it is intimated that the remaining manpower will be deployed in phases by May 15. The training and induction of the personnel have been planned accordingly,” the letter addressed to the Lok Sabha Secretary General has stated.
As many as 115 personnel underwent fire wing refresher training course, 881 security personnel X-BIS screeners training as well as frisking and checking training, 20 personnel underdog squad training, 40 personnel Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) refresher course, 118 personnel communication and CCTV training, as many as 1,370 CISF personnel underwent QRT+CAT training, sniper training and armed support training in the last two months.
The formal process to assign CISF for Parliament security duty was initiated by the Home Ministry after the security breach incident took place inside Parliament in December last year. However, the initiative to hand over the overall security and coordination in Parliament to the industrial security unit has also raised eyebrows amongst renowned security officials and former secretary general of the Lok Sabha.
Earlier this month, the Home Ministry formed a seven-member joint survey team chaired by CISF DIG Ajay Kumar to conduct a re-survey to take over the services of the Parliament Security Service (PSS) by the CISF.
Parliament Security Service
The Parliament Security Service (PSS) headed by the Joint Secretary (Security), looks after the security set up in the Parliament House Complex. The then president of the Central Legislative Assembly Vithalbhai Patel set up a ‘WATCH AND WARD COMMITTEE’ on September 3, 1929. It was later renamed as Parliament Security Service (PSS) in 2009. The PSS is the In-House system to provide proactive, preventive and protective security to the VIPs and VVIPs, building and its incumbents. The Parliament Security Services is solely responsible for the management of access control and regulation of people, materials and vehicles within the Parliament House Complex. The PSS is also assigned with marshal duty in the House.
However, with the induction of CISF for comprehensive security duty in Parliament, it is believed that they will also provide the marshal duty, which was earlier provided by the PSS.
Former secretary general of Lok Sabha Speaks
Asserting that the Lok Sabha Speaker is the custodian of the Parliament Complex, former Secretary General of Lok Sabha PD Thankappan Achary said that the Lok Sabha Speaker is the ultimate authority for taking any decision to make into effect any such changes as far as security issues are concerned. He said that PSS members recruited by the Parliament Secretariat perform several responsibilities, which are essential for Parliament, including identifying the MPs.
“Any changes can be done under the Speaker's direction as he has overall control of the system, including security aspects. No doubt the security is provided by the agencies, which come under the Union. Without the Speaker's direction, I don’t think the ministry can take any measures, particularly for replacing the PSS with CISF,” said Achary.
Former special director, IB Speaks
Talking to this correspondent, renowned security expert and former special director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Yashovardhan Jha Azad said, “I don’t think replacing the overall security by the CISF is a good initiative. There was a security audit done after the December incident, though it was not made public. Security to the outer periphery of Parliament by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is fine. However, there was no change in the security protocol as far as the inside area of the Parliament is concerned in response to the changing needs.”
Referring to the December issue of the security breach, Yashovardhan said that it was the modern aspect of screening and the latest technology, which was required as a new security tool in Parliament. “It was necessary to revamp the Parliament security. Instead of separating the Rajya Sabha security and the Lok Sabha security, there should be one person, who should be the in-charge of the overall security and should be placed under the Secretary (security), who also overlooks the Prime Minister's security through the SPG. Notably, the SPG shared its latest technology also with the Parliament security,” he said.
Referring to the new assignment of the CISF for Parliament security Yashovardhan said that the CISF is heavily outstretched. “The CISF is of good use in very sensitive sectors like nuclear installation and other core areas. Outside security by the Central Armed Police Forces is welcome, but inner security should have been strengthened by new security protocols, the new equipment and skilled manpower,” said Yashovardhan.
