Over 80 SSG men shifted to parent wing from Special Security Guard
Days after the announcement of reducing special security cover to the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, the administration while setting the exercise into motion have shifted more than 80 personnel of Special Security Guards (SSG) to their parents wings of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Notably, the Centre has decided to withdraw the special security group (SSG) protection of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, his son and vice president Omar Abdullah, PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad after a security review meeting by the government.
“The Government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has started cutting the special security cover, which is responsible for the security of Chief Ministers and as a part of this, has shifted around 82 personnel, including seven inspectors and four sub-inspectors posted in the SSG, to their parent wing in the police department,” sources said.
As per sources, the SSG will now only look after the security of the incumbent Chief Minister and his relatives but at present, there is no Chief Minister in chair in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The facility of security cover to the former Chief Ministers and their relatives has been taken away from the SSG following dropping the strength of the special force,” they said.
“The Security Coordination Committee (SRCC) security review meeting was held on July 18, 2021 and after that on September 19, 2021, it was decided to cut the number of SSG officers and jawans,” sources said adding that based on the decisions taken in the meeting, the Home Department has written a letter to the ADGP of the Security Wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police on December 31, 2021, asking for reducing the manpower and resources of the SSG.
It has also been clarified in the letter that now onwards, DIG and SSP rank officers will not be appointed in SSG, adding, “the number of officers and jawans as per the letter, should be limited only to the minimum number capable of handling the work and to be commanded by an officer of the rank of DySP.”
“The Police Headquarters have ordered shifting of 82 cops posted in SSG to their parent wings or to be posted in any other wing of the department as per the requirement,” sources said.
Sources revealed that five head constables have been recalled from SSG while 39 selection grade constables and two constables have been posted in various battalions of the J&K Armed Police and six selection grade constables have been sent to the security wing.
Of the seven inspectors recalled from the SSG, four have been sent to the security wing under the Kashmir zone while two police inspectors have been posted in the Armed Police.
“One inspector has been sent to the Jammu zone. Four Assistant Sub Inspectors from the Telecom have also been sent to the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police and out of the four, three sub-inspectors have been posted in the Armed Zone and one in the Kashmir Zone,” they said.
Pertinent to mention here that the Committee had decided that the Ex-CMs of J&K shall be provided the security by the security wing as per their present categorization i.e., Z+ by name, with additional escorts/measures as per necessity and assessment of the Security wing.
Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad are also protected by National Security Guards (NSG), the protection provided by the central government based on threat assessment of two former chief ministers.
