Centre hits back at UP; says adequate force not deployed

New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) The Centre today hit back at theUttar Pradesh government for the violence and chaos thatoccurred during an ITBP recruitment camp at Bareilly resultingin the death of 19 aspirants, saying there were "only ahandful" of state policemen to maintain law and order.

"Despite the clear request and advance intimation by theCommandant (ITBP), it is learnt that only a handful of policepersonnel were deployed around the ITBP campus. Whencandidates started converging at the ITBP camp forregistration, initially the process went on smoothly.

"However, as the crowd swelled, the Additional DirectorGeneral (Headquarters) at the Directorate General ITBP, whowas monitoring the process, even talked to the DistrictMagistrate and the ADG (Law and Order) UP requesting them toaugment the arrangements," the Home Ministry said in astatement here.

The Ministry also produced four documents, submitted bythe ITBP to it, of official communication between local ITBPofficials and the state administration.

The Uttar Pradesh government yesterday had claimed thatITBP and the Centre did not coordinate with the state on therecruitment camp. It also blamed alleged "mismanagement" ofITBP for the "chaos".

"The incident was unfortunate, but the ITBP did notinform the Bareilly administration that applications havebeen invited from 11 states," a UP government spokesman hadsaid in Lucknow, adding the ITBP should have given a specialinformation in this regard.

Home Minister P Chidambaram had also said yesterday thatthe state police was obliged to provide security to any kindof recruitment camp and such a programme is not held withoutthe knowledge of the state police.

"These were done with the full knowledge and consentof state police," he had said in New Delhi.

The UP government had termed Chidambaram''s statement as"untrue" and "far from facts".

The Home ministry today said that it has been alleged inmedia that the ITBP had not informed the District Magistrate,Bareilly about the recruitment rally for which over one lakhpersons turned up for 416 vacancies and some returningcandidates were killed and injured in a rail accident.

"In this regard, ITBP has informed that to ensureadequate arrangements for the rally, the local Commandant,ITBP wrote a letter to the District Magistrate with a copy tothe DIG, Bareilly district on January 17 mentioning in detailthe process of recruitment that would be followed along withthe timings and estimated number of candidates, therebyrequesting for adequate arrangements to be made.

"A similar letter was issued by the local Commandant,ITBP to the District Magistrate requesting for the services ofone medical officer, one para-medic along with medicines andone ambulance to handle any medical emergencies during therally," the statement said. (More) PTI NES