Maya to recruit police to guard parks, memorials

Lucknow, Apr 3: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is in the news again and for the wrong reason. The Uttar Pradesh government is all set to recruit ex servicemen to guard parks and memorials on Saturday, Apr 3, without waiting for the consent of Governor B L Joshi and senior government officials.

"The need for a trained force for the security of these memorials and parks was felt by the government and the state cabinet today 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.

Asked about the bill and ordinance which was sent back by to the Governor on Feb 18 and Mar 26 respectively, Singh said that the decision for recruitment was made by the Cabinet alone and had nothing to do with the bill and ordinace which are awaiting the Governor's approval.

The bill and ordinace were pending with the Governor and the cabinet had not discussed the matter with the Raj Bhawan, Singh said in response to whether the move would make bill and ordinance ineffective.

On the need of sending a ordinance even when the bill was pending with the Governor, Singh said that the ordinance, which had certain amendments was sent as there was no communication from the Governor, at the backdrop of the urgent requirement of providing security to parks and memorials.

Justifying the move, Singh said that the "inflammatory" remarks often made by some elements and PILs filed in courts on these parks and memorials by people having "anti-Dalit mentality" made it necessary for the government to go ahead with the recruitment without waiting for a nod from the Governor.

"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

UP Special Zone protection Bill for recruiting forces for providing security to memorials and parks constructed in Lucknow and Noida was state assembly and legislative council.

OneIndia News