Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has enhanced the security at Cliff House, the official residence of the chief minister, following a recent protest by BJP activists on its premises. Apart from setting up three additional police pickets, instructions have been given to the Director-General of Police to recommend an officer in the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) to coordinate all security measures of the chief minister.
Some BJP workers had jumped over the wall of Cliff House and planted a survey stone of the proposed SilverLine (K-Rail) railway project there in protest against the state government’s move to demarcate land.
The three police pickets came up on Sunday along the road from Bains Compound to Cliff House premises, where bungalows of nine ministers are located. According to the police, BJP activists had laid the survey stone on the premises of the residence of the Agricultural Minister which was unoccupied as some repairs were taking place there.
The pickets will have police personnel on duty round-the-clock and visitors checked. Other security measures planned include raising the height of the compound wall of Cliff House and fixing a barbed wire fence above it. Meanwhile, instructions have also been given to the police not to harass residents and guests of the 50-odd houses near Cliff House.
At the same time, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will continue to be covered under the Z-plus category of security. Improvements have been done to the guard room at his official residence and work on a watch tower which offers a panoramic view of the entire high-security area will start soon.
The new SP rank officer will coordinate between various personnel involved in the chief minister’s security. At the Secretariat, protection to the chief minister’s office is provided by Secretariat Security personnel and Kerala Police officers on deputation. The gates and premises of the Secretariat are secured by the state industrial security force and at Cliff House, the duty has been given to commandos, Armed Police personnel and Rapid Action Force, who also accompany the chief minister during his travels.