Hyderabad: Security for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has been scaled up following an
increased "threat perception" from Telangana protagonists,
highly-placed police sources said Monday.
The security for the Chief Minister has been scaled up
also in view of the impending submission of Justice Srikrishna
Committee report on Telangana to the Union Home Minister on
December 31, they added.
The Intelligence Security Wing (ISW), under which the
Chief Minister`s Security Group (CMSG) functions, is unwilling
to reveal details about the enhanced security cover to Kiran
due to "security reasons".
The extra protection measures will be in place when he
tours Nizamabad and Warangal districts in the Telangana region
tomorrow, the sources said.
However, the CM has been asked to cancel his scheduled
trip to Dubbaka constituency in Medak district on December 30
following intelligence inputs that the pro-Telangana elements
were planning to create trouble, they said.
"We have also received an advisory from Medak District
Collector and Superintendent of Police that the Dubbaka trip
be cancelled. We are acting accordingly," an official in the
Chief Minister`s Office said.
Ministers of Andhra Pradesh have also been put on high
alert by ISW ahead of submission of the committee report.
Officials of the ISW have already briefed Ministers about
the new security measures that are being put in place for
their safety.
Specific instructions were issued to the personal staff
of the Ministers to keep the ISW informed well in advance
about their movement and programmes.
Though the Government has so far not enhanced the number
of armed security personnel attached to each Minister, it may
happen by December 31, police sources said.
The police advisory on security has been issued to
Ministers hailing not only from Telangana but also from Andhra
and Rayalaseema regions. Local police units in the respective
districts and police commissionerates have been asked to
provide extra security cover for the Ministers` programmes.
Extra precautions would be taken in case of Ministers
from one region visiting the other on official work in view of
the regional hostilities, they said.
"Of course, tours of Ministers from one region to the
other have become few and far between in the last one year.
Barring one or two seniors, not all Ministers are in fact
going to districts other than their native. Most of them are
not even moving out of Hyderabad," a top police official
pointed out.
PTI
