Maya's NSG cover clipped
Source: The Sangai Express / TNN

Lucknow, March 17 2012: The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday morning ordered reduction in the size of the 415-men strong security cover given to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and former UP chief minister Mayawati.

She will now be under the Z-plus security cover 36 National Security Guard's (NSG's) Black Cats commandoes and 20 odd police guards at par with all the former UP CMs.

The decision was taken by the state home department after reviewing the security cover extended by UP Police to all political personalities.

Scaling of Mayawati's security cover alone will spare about 300 armed policemen for other duties.

The strength of security units for 24X7 cover is calculated on the basis of heads engaged on security duty at a time multiplied by 3 (as they work in three shifts).

Apart from the manpower, all hi-tech gadgets and equipments installed at her residence will also be withdrawn with immediate effect.

Interestingly, in her very last financial statement before the assembly, Mayawati had allocated Rs 26 crore for her security which included an addition of another 14 cars (four of them bulletproof) in her fleet apart from two mobile frequency jammers.

After the scaledown, Mayawati will still have a bullet proof car and NSG Black Cats; only their count will be much less.

Security has always been a major concern for Mayawati whenever she was in power.

Her political rivals claim that her fetish for security was more of her want to flaunt her status symbol than mere threat perception.

The move will undoubtedly leave a security-conscious Mayawati fuming compounding her perennial fears of being targeted.

Sources in the security wing of the state police say that more than Mayawati, it was her blueeyed bureaucrats who were always eager to enhance the security around her.

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