The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has again requested all states to recommend officers for the post of Joint Secretary (Security) in the Lok Sabha. The latest communication sent by the Home Ministry last week has urged all state governments (except Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories) to nominate within a week eligible persons willing to hold posts in Delhi.

The post has been vacant for more than two and a half months, a fact that came into limelight on December 13, the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, when two men jumped from the public gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber. During Zero Hour, some MPs released yellow gas from canisters and raised slogans before being controlled by them.

This is the second time that the Home Ministry has asked states to recommend names of officers for the post, that too within a stipulated time of one week.

Sources say that the Central Government has not yet received enough names to be considered for this post, due to which there is a need to seek applications from the states once again. Despite the central government’s readiness to fill the vacancy following the Parliament security breach last month, some states are reluctant to put forward nominations.

“I am directed to refer to this Ministry’s letter on the subject mentioned above and request that nomination of willing and eligible IPS officers for the post of Joint Secretary (Security) in Level 14 in the pay matrix in the Lok Sabha Secretariat may please be provided. Go. to this Ministry, within a week of the issue of this letter, so that we can send the panel of suitable IPS officers to the Lok Sabha Secretariat,” the MHA said in the fresh communication to all chief secretaries last week.

At the heart of Parliament security is the Joint Secretary (Security), who is entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the operations involving Parliament Security Services, Delhi Police, Parliament Duty Group and various allied security agencies.

On 13 December, two men – Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D – entered the Lok Sabha and released yellow smoke from canisters, raising concerns over security. Two others – Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi – released colored smoke from the canisters while shouting.dictatorship will not workOutside the Parliament complex.

The next day, the Home Ministry wrote a letter to all the states and stressed on the expedience of filling the posts. The communication had said: “I am directed to refer to the above subject and to state that the Lok Sabha Secretariat is in the process of filling up the post of Joint Secretary (Security) in Level 14 of the pay matrix in the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The IG level posts at the Center are to be filled on deputation basis from among the enlisted Indian Police Service officers. Therefore, State Governments are requested to submit nominations of eligible and interested IPS officers to this Ministry through e-mail latest by 20.12.2023. Vigilance status should also be informed while forwarding the nomination.

The government is in the process of beefing up the security infrastructure of the Parliament complex, where CISF has now been roped in for searches and investigations.