Rs 2,000 crore to raise force like CISF to fortify religious cities in UP

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSSF), the proposed special force to look after the security of religious cities, courts and other vital installations, will be raised at a cost of around Rs 2,000 crore and will have five battalions of 1,278 personnel each, officials said.
Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) will be the nodal agency to raise the force.Being set up on the lines of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), UPSSSF will look after the security of religious cities of Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura, the Taj Mahal in Agra, courts and other vital installations.
The force will also fortify financial institutions, airports and Metro rail.
Senior officials at the DGP headquarters said similar forces are currently working in Maharashtra and Odisha.
The proposal for the constitution of a special force was made on the directions of the Allahabad High Court after incidents of violence were reported on the premises of courts.
Talking to TOI, director-general, law and order, Prashant Kumar, said: “The move will reduce extra cost on other agencies and also relieve the police so that they can pay attention on other duties.” He said the government was planning to set up such a force ever since the Metro was flagged off.
Another senior officer said the state cabinet’s nod was awaited to kick start training of the force, adding that expenditure of at least Rs 2,000 crore would be made in raising the five battalions.
“The force will be trained at PAC battalions by experts from CISF and NDRF. Later, new headquarters of UPSSSF will be established,” the officer added.
Tasks will be divided among the battalions. For instance, a specialized battalion will guard the courts while another would protect religious cities and Metro rail.