Ravi Shankar Prasad gets VIP security cover

Ravi Shankar Prasad has been accorded a VIP security cover of armed central paramilitary personnel by the government.

New Delhi, Oct 20: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has been accorded a VIP security cover of armed central paramilitary personnel by the government recently.

Officials said the cabinet minister for Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology has been brought under the 'Y' security cover and his security duties will be handled by the CRPF's special VIP security commandos.

They said as part of this protocol, about seven-eight armed Central Reserve Police Force personnel will be deployed for the security duties of the minister, a Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar.

A threat assessment report prepared by central security agencies had recommended the requirement of such a cover for Prasad after which the Union Home Ministry sanctioned it, they said. The 'Z+' category is the highest VIP security cover followed by 'Z' and while 40 commandos are usually deployed for the 'Z+' protectee, the latter has about 25-30 personnel. ‘

Y' is a scaled down category but the commandos are similarly armed. Sometime back a similar 'Y' cover was accorded to Nita Ambani, wife of Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani, on a full payment basis.

The CRPF provides VIP security cover to over 60 protectees.

PTI