New Delhi: Following the Parliament security breach last month, 140 personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have been deployed at the complex for “familiarisation training” and are likely to take over important responsibilities such as checking people entering the complex and scanning their baggage.
The CISF could start functioning at the Parliament complex from the budget session starting 31 January, a source familiar with the situation told ThePrint.
However, the exact nature of security that the CISF would be assigned to provide by the Ministry of Home Affairs was not clear, sources said.
This comes nearly a month after the Ministry of Home Affairs gave its approval for a survey of the entire Parliament complex, which generally forms part of the protocol before the CISF takes over security arrangements at any given site.
ThePrint has learnt that the training process has begun after the survey concluded earlier this month but there was no clarity on whether the CISF would replace any of the pre-existing forces such as the Parliamentary Security Service (PSS), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Delhi Police. They could also form an additional security layer inside and outside the Parliament security.
“140 personnel have been deployed for the familiarisation process to understand what is happening there but nothing can be said of what could be the final role the CISF would play. Personnel will be responsible for frisking and scanning at the gates,” a top CISF official told ThePrint.
This comes after a massive security breach on 13 December when two men carrying smoke canisters, hidden in their shoes, jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery when a session was on.
The situation led to chaos after the hall was filled with smoke. The Delhi Police have arrested six accused in this case.
The Union Home Ministry constituted a high-level inquiry committee, headed by CRPF Director General Anish Dayal Singh and comprising officers from other security agencies, to ascertain the cause of the lapse and recommend necessary measures.
Read more: Parliament’s Budget session from January 31