Srinagar, Jan 6, KDC: The Lt Governor Administration is winding up the elite unit of Special Security Group (SSG) which provided security to the four former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said that the ex-CMs will get Z-Plus security cover except SSG personnel.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order, 2020, the government on March 31, 2020, amended the Jammu and Kashmir Special Security Group Act which enabled to reduce the SSG cover of former chief ministers.
Official sources told Srinagar based news agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) that only the SSG cover will be removed, however the security of the former chief ministers will not be compromised given the threat perception of the VVIPs.
At present the SSG, formed in 2000, is headed by a senior police officer of the rank of IGP and he is designated as the Director of the elite unit of the police.
The unit will be headed by the Superintendent of Police as against the Director and will have lesser personnel as against the present strength.
Sources said the reduced SSG will now be entrusted with the security of serving chief ministers and their immediate family members.
With the downsizing of SSG men, the four former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti will not get SSG security.
However, Farooq Abdullah and Azad will continue to be provided the security cover of the National Security Guard, also known as Black cat commandos, as both of them are Z-plus protectees.
The categorized leaders will be provided security by the district police as well as the security wing of Jammu and Kashmir police based on the threat perception (TP), the officials said.
Some of the SSG personnel would be posted with the security wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police for “close protection team”, they said.
The officials said the remaining SSG personnel are likely to be posted to other wings so that the police force can make the best use of their training and knowledge.
Vehicles and other gadgets will be transferred to the security wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police as the Security Review Coordination Committee (SRCC) has approved this decision before three months. (KDC)
