Blurb: Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore surrendered his security cover after police declined his request for an additional vehicle.
Ranchi
Jharkhand Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore has returned his entire official security cover in a rare move expressing dissatisfaction with the functioning of the state police department. The Congress leader, who serves in the Jharkhand government, took the decision after his request for an additional vehicle to facilitate the movement of his security personnel was reportedly not approved.
As part of his decision, the Minister returned all 16 security personnel assigned to his protection along with the three government vehicles that had been deployed for security duties. The development has drawn considerable political attention, with the Minister subsequently attending official engagements in Ranchi without any police escort or security convoy.
According to official sources, Kishore had recently written to the Director General of Police requesting one more vehicle for his security team. He explained that although 16 personnel had been assigned for his protection, the existing vehicles were insufficient to accommodate them comfortably. As a result, security staff were allegedly forced to travel in overcrowded conditions, making the existing arrangement both impractical and ineffective.
Sources familiar with the matter said that no decision was taken on the Minister’s request. Instead, the police headquarters reportedly communicated with his personal secretary regarding the withdrawal of one of the vehicles already allotted for his security arrangement. The reported response appears to have prompted the Minister to return the entire security deployment.
In his communication to the police authorities, Kishore described the prevailing situation as embarrassing and stated that the existing arrangement did not serve its intended purpose. He maintained that an effective security system should be practical, well-organized, and capable of ensuring adequate protection without unnecessary inconvenience to security personnel.
On Friday, the Minister attended a public function at Khelgaon Stadium before visiting the Project Bhawan Secretariat to carry out official duties. During both engagements, he was seen travelling without any official security convoy or police escort, underscoring his decision to relinquish the security cover assigned to him.
Kishore also questioned the efficiency of deploying three large government vehicles solely for transporting 16 security personnel. He argued that such an arrangement was neither economical nor operationally sound from the perspective of resource utilization and security management. According to the Minister, public resources should be used in a rational manner while ensuring that security arrangements remain functional and effective.
The episode is being viewed as a strong indication of the Minister’s dissatisfaction with the police headquarters and the handling of his request. Political observers believe the incident could trigger wider discussions about the allocation of official security resources and administrative coordination within the state government.
