Lucknow: After failing to get the Governor's nod for a bill and an ordinance, the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh on Friday took a controversial decision to start recruitment from Saturday for a police force to guard parks
and memorials for Dalit icons.
"The need for a trained force for the security of these
memorials and parks was felt by the government and the state
cabinet today (Friday) decided to recruit ex servicemen to raise a
battalion of some 1200 personnel for providing security to
nine parks, memorials and museums in Lucknow and NOIDA",
Cabinet Secretary Shahshank Shekhar Singh said here.
On the bill and ordinance sent to the Governor on
February 18 and March 26 respectively, Singh said they have
nothing to do with today's decision by the cabinet. The
Governor is yet to clear either the bill or the ordinance.
To a question whether the bill and the ordinace would
become infructuous with the cabinet's decision to recruit ex-
servicemen for the police force, Singh said they were pending
with the Governor and the government has had no talks on them
with the Raj Bhawan.
He said today's decision was a "normal administrative"
decision taken by the cabinet and there was no requirement for
bringing a bill or ordinance for it.
The bill or ordinance is required only when special
powers have to be extended, Singh said adding the new
battalion would be devoid of the special powers of arrest
and frisking which were part of the bill passed by both the
Houses of the state legislature in February this year.
On why the ordinace was sent to the Raj Bhawan when
the bill was already pending, Singh said it was sent with
certain amendments when there was no communication from the
Governor, keeping in mind the urgent need of extending
security to these parks and memorials.
The cabinet secretary said that keeping in mind the
"inflammatory" remarks often made by some elements and PILs
filed in courts on these parks and memorials by people having
"anti-Dalit mentality" there was a chance that the structures
could be harmed by "anti-social" elements in the absence of
proper security, which could lead to law and order situation
in the country.
"There is a shortage of policemen in the state, for
which the state government has already started the recruitment
of some two lakh policemen and if under such circumstances
they were deployed for other tasks, it could have been
detrimental to maintaining law and order," Singh said adding
that under these circumstances the government has decided to
raise a special force for the security of these monuments.
"All these parks and memorials are very important and
are symbols of government's endeavour to establish samtamolak
samak (egalitarian society) which would prove to be
inspiration for future generations," Singh added.
The state assembly and legislative council had in the
budget session passed UP Special Zone protection Bill to raise
the force for security of memorials and parks constructed in
Lucknow and NOIDA.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, April 03, 2010, 12:08