Post Araku killing, TS beefs up security
Hyderabad: Alerted by the assassination of a TDP MLA and a former MLA in Andhra Pradesh by Maoists on Sunday, security has been beefed up for selected ministers in the caretaker Telangana state government and the MLAs in the just dissolved state Assembly elected from naxal-infested districts of old Khammam, Adilabad, Nalgonda, Karimnagar and Warangal districts.
Police have taken up necessary measures on a war footing to extend additional security to the ministers and legislators during their visit to the remote villages which are prone to extremist attacks in the sensitive districts.
The ministers hailing from north Telangana districts of Khammam, Adilabad and Nizamabad were advised to stop visiting tribal villages in the reserved forest areas until this month end. If any urgency, the ministers would have to inform the district Superintendent of Police (SP) about their tour details and seek more security cover.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao held a brief meeting on Monday with a group of top officials of the state Police department and enquired about the security and safety arrangements for legislators in the extremist-affected districts after the brutal killing of TDP sitting MLA from Araku assembly segment K Sarvesvara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma in Visakhapatnam district on Sunday.
A top official said: “Telangana state is facing a problem after the dissolution of the Assembly on September 6. Any untoward incident will spell big trouble in the wake of the ensuing assembly elections to be held in two months in Telangana. The government accorded top priority to provide high tech protection to the legislators and ministers.”
Security has already been tightened for the state ministers - T Nageshwara Rao, J Ramanna, P Srinivasa Reddy, A Indrakaran Reddy, K Srihari and Ajmeera Chandulal. The security of the MLAs will be increased to 2 plus 2 in the place of one plus one during their visits in the naxal-areas. Similarly, the security of the ministers will be 3 plus 3 from the present 2 plus 2.