In a controversial move, the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh on Friday decided to start recruitment for setting up a police force to guard parks and memorials for Dalit icons without waiting for Governor B L Joshi's nod for a bill and an ordinance for the same purpose.
"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 in Lucknow.
On the bill and ordinance sent to the Governor on February 18 and March 26 respectively, Singh said they have nothing to do with today's decision by the cabinet. The Governor is yet to clear either the bill or the ordinance.
To a question whether the bill and the ordinace would become infructuous with the cabinet's decision to recruit ex- servicemen for the police force, Singh said they were pending with the Governor and the government has had no talks on them with the Raj Bhawan. He said today's decision was a "normal administrative" decision taken by the cabinet and there was no requirement for bringing a bill or ordinance for it.
The bill or ordinance is required only when special powers have to be extended, Singh said adding the new battalion would be devoid of the special powers of arrest and frisking which were part of the bill passed by both the Houses of the state legislature in February this year. PTI
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