Lucknow: The grand memorials the BSP
government has built for Dalit icons here and in Noida are
still mired in legal battle but that has not deterred it
from coming out with a proposal for raising a special security
force at a cost of about Rs.60 crore for protecting them.
A bill, titled "State Special Region Security Bill,
2010", tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly by Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Lalji Verma, aims at providing security to
the various memorials, status and parks set up in the state.
The measure describes the memorials, parks and other
important places as "special region" for the purpose of
providing security to them. While the UP government estimates
place the cost of the memorials in Lucknow at Rs. 2,600 crore,
the one in Noida, near Delhi, is around Rs.650 crore.
They include the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik
Parivartan Sthal, Dr Ambedkar Bihar, Manyavar Kanshiramji
Smarak Sthal as well 13, Mall Avenue (the bungalaow allotted
to Chief Minister Mayawati when she was CM earlier and has
since then been converted into a memorial) and the Gautam
Buddh Nagar Samta Moolak Sthal in Noida, near Delhi.
Following public interest ligation in Supreme Court
in the wake of raging controversy over public money being
spent on these memorials, work in all these memorials has
been put on hold.
Under the bill, the raising of the force would cost
Rs53 crore while a recurring annual expenditure is estimated
at around Rs.14 crore, excluding the expenditure on land
required for purpose of having infrastructure for the force.
IPS and PPS officers would be appointed to head the
top positions in the new force while subordinate staff would
be directly recruited.
In the initial stage, only one battalion of the force
would be raised but the state government would have the right
to expand it.
PTI
