CAG raises serious issues over security in UP

Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its latest report has slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for ignoring to provide proper training, arms and ammunition and other facilities to the Anti Terrorism Squad, Special Task Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary(PAC) which could lead to serious risk on the safety and security of the people of the state during any terrorist or Naxal attack. It further revealed that not a single commando deployed in the ATS had been given full training as per the norms and the objective to establish a commando unit in the state on the line of National Security Guard to combat terrorism is yet to be achieved.

The CAG commented that modernisation and strengthening of the ATS was not an achievement as envisaged and the state remained vulnerable to terrorist activity. The report of the CAG on Special Police Forces Modernisation ending March 31, 2016, which was tabled in the UP Assembly last week, stated that the commando training school in Lucknow, counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism school at Mirzapur and four commando hubs at Agra, Lucknow, Meerut and Varanasi could not be completed even after five years due to state government's failure to acquire land and ensure timely construction by the agencies.

"Such lackadaisical attitude of the state government is a matter of building capacities and ensuring preparedness for taking effective anti-terrorist measures and counter-insurgency operations by seriously risking the safety and security of the people of the state," it commented. It further said the state government had also informed them in February 2017 that the proposal for sanction of posts, construction of building, procurement of vehicles, procurement of arms and communication and other things are pending. The CAG report said during the audit it was noticed that not a single personnel got full commando training required for becoming a commando.

"Training in only pre-induction course was provided to 228 personnel during 2009-12 whereas no training was provided during 2012-16. Thus adequate numbers of commandos have not been trained as planned to effectively handle difficult security situations, such as terrorist attack," he commented. In another lapse, against the proposed commando strength of 2000, which was yet to be sanctioned by the UP government, only 79 PAC personnel were working with ATS as on September 2016 in temporary Commando Training Schools. Surprisingly, only 43 personnel, were trained in 2009-10 and one constable trained in 2011-12 were working with the ATS but no commando who had been trained in temporary CTS was working in either with the STF or security branch.

In November 2009 it was decided that one company of PAC was to be provided to ATS to support it in performing its duties though at that time four companies of PAC were working as commando companies comprising 508 personnel on an ad-hoc and interim basis. But on the other hand, the UP government had informed the CAG that 103 commandos are posted with ATS. In another revelation, the CAG said during the audit, it was noticed that ATS did not get ammunition as per their requirements.

Arms like 9mm , MP5, 12 Bore PAG, Hand Grenade, Stun Grenade and UBGL were provided first time to ATS during 2013-15 but ammunition for these weapons were not provided except hand grenade which was also not as per requirement. Surprisingly, the government provided ammunition for point 303 CTN LMG in 2010-11 without availability of the weapon, which resulted in ammunition lying in stock even up to March, 2016.