MHA officials brief panel on steps taken for state’s security

NEW DELHI: After two rounds of briefing to leaders of political parties representing Parliament, senior officials of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), including Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, on Friday briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home and told it about the prevailing security situation, including special steps taken in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 22

After two rounds of briefing to leaders of political parties representing Parliament, senior officials of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), including Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, on Friday briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home and told it about the prevailing security situation, including special steps taken in Jammu and Kashmir.

The parliamentary panel, headed by Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P Chidambram, had asked the officials to appear before it and explain in detail the steps taken to ensure safe and peaceful Amarnath yatra and also measures taken for custodial safety of Aadhaar data.

A senior MHA official, who is in the know of the development, told The Tribune that besides Mehrishi, Home Secretary (Designate) Rajiv Gauba and others briefed the panel about the prevailing security situation in the country and made a special presentation on the steps taken to ensure safe and peaceful yatra.

In the presentation, it was informed that more than 200 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces and three additional battalions of the Army had been provided for the yatra this year. The security arrangements have been reviewed regularly at the Centre and state-level.

After the unfortunate terror attack, which left eight persons dead, the security arrangements have been reviewed and were being closely monitored by the Centre and the state government, the panel was informed.

Moreover, the officials assured the panel members that Aadhaar data was safe and there was no chance of it falling in wrong hands, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said, adding that it was also informed though the database was in safe custody. The government was not complacent and kept on upgrading its security systems, they said.

However, other related queries by the members of the panel on Aadhaar data were answered by the representatives of the Unique Identification Authority of India, the nodal agency generating the unique ID numbers.

Moreover, Ministry of Home Affairs officials informed that another meeting of the parliamentary panel would be held on July 27 during which the ministry would give a detailed presentation on various issues raised by the members.

More forces for Amarnath yatra

The panel was informed that more than 200 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces and three additional battalions of the Army had been provided for the Amarnath yatra this year
The security arrangements have been reviewed regularly at the Centre and state-level