Tag: security

  • Heads roll in Ukraine graft purge, but defense chief Reznikov rejects rumors he’s out

    Heads roll in Ukraine graft purge, but defense chief Reznikov rejects rumors he’s out

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    KYIV — Heads are rolling in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s expanding purge against corruption in Ukraine, but Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is denying rumors that he’s destined for the exit — a move that would be viewed as a considerable setback for Kyiv in the middle of its war with Russia.

    Two weeks ago, Ukraine was shaken by two major corruption scandals centered on government procurement of military catering services and electrical generators. Rather than sweeping the suspect deals under the carpet, Zelenskyy launched a major crackdown, in a bid to show allies in the U.S. and EU that Ukraine is making a clean break from the past.

    Tetiana Shevchuk, a lawyer with the Anti-Corruption Action Center, a watchdog, said Zelenskyy needed to draw a line in the sand: “Because even when the war is going on, people saw that officials are conducting ‘business as usual’. They saw that corrupt schemes have not disappeared, and it made people really angry. Therefore, the president had to show he is on the side of fighting against corruption.”

    Since the initial revelations, the graft investigations have snowballed, with enforcers uncovering further possible profiteering in the defense ministry. Two former deputy defense ministers have been placed in pre-trial detention.

    Given the focus on his ministry in the scandal, speculation by journalists and politicians has swirled that Reznikov — one of the best-known faces of Ukraine’s war against the Russian invaders — is set to be fired or at least transferred to another ministry.

    But losing such a top name would be a big blow. At a press conference on Sunday, Reznikov dismissed the claims about his imminent departure as rumors and said that only Zelenskyy was in a position to remove him. Although Reznikov admits the anti-corruption department at his ministry failed and needs reform, he said he was still focused on ensuring that Ukraine’s soldiers were properly equipped.

    “Our key priority now is the stable supply of Ukrainian soldiers with all they need,” Reznikov said during the press conference.

    Despite his insistence that any decision on his removal could only come from Zelenskyy, Reznikov did still caution that he was ready to depart — and that no officials would serve in their posts forever.

    The speculation about Reznikov’s fate picked up on Sunday when David Arakhamia, head of Zelenskyy’s affiliated Servant of the People party faction in the parliament, published a statement saying Reznikov would soon be transferred to the position of minister for strategic industries to strengthen military-industrial cooperation. Major General Kyrylo Budanov, current head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, would head the Ministry of Defense, Arakhamia said.

    However, on Monday, Arakhamia seemed to row back somewhat, and claimed no reshuffle in the defense ministry was planned for this week. Mariana Bezuhla, deputy head of the national security and defense committee in the Ukrainian parliament, also said that the parliament had decided to postpone any staff decisions in the defense ministry as they consider the broader risks for national defense ahead of another meeting of defense officials at the U.S. Ramstein air base in Germany and before an expected upcoming Russian offensive.  

    Zelenskyy steps in

    The defense ministry is not the only department to be swept up in the investigations. Over the first days of February, the Security Service of Ukraine, State Investigation Bureau, and Economic Security Bureau conducted dozens of searches at the customs service, the tax service and in local administrations. Officials of several different levels were dismissed en masse for sabotaging their service during war and hurting the state.     

    “Unfortunately, in some areas, the only way to guarantee legitimacy is by changing leaders along with the implementation of institutional changes,” Zelenskyy said in a video address on February 1. “I see from the reaction in society that people support the actions of law enforcement officers. So, the movement towards justice can be felt. And justice will be ensured.” 

    Yuriy Nikolov, founder of the Nashi Groshi (Our Money) investigative website, who broke the story about the defense ministry’s alleged profiteering on food and catering services for soldiers in January, said the dismissals and continued searches were first steps in the right direction.

    “Now let’s wait for the court sentences. It all looked like a well-coordinated show,” Nikolov told POLITICO.  “At the same time, it is good that the government prefers this kind of demonstrative fight against corruption, instead of covering up corrupt officials.”

    Still, even though Reznikov declared zero tolerance for corruption and admitted that defense procurement during war needs reform, he has still refused to publish army price contract data on food and non-secret equipment, Nikolov said.

    During his press conference, Reznikov insisted he could not reveal sensitive military information during a period of martial law as it could be used by the enemy. “We have to maintain the balance of public control and keep certain procurement procedures secret,” he said.

    Two deputies down

    Alleged corruption in secret procurement deals has, however, already cost him two of his deputies.  

    Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who oversaw logistical support for the army, tendered his resignation in January following a scandal involving the purchase of military rations at inflated prices. In his resignation letter, Shapovalov asked to be dismissed in order “not to pose a threat to the stable supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a result of a campaign of accusations related to the purchase of food services.”

    Another of Reznikov’s former deputies, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who managed defense procurement in the ministry until December, was also arrested over accusations he lobbied for a purchase of 3,000 poor-quality bulletproof vests for the army worth more than 100 million hryvnias (€2.5 million), the Security Service of Ukraine reported.  If found guilty he faces up to eight years in prison. The director of the company that supplied the bulletproof vests under the illicit contract has been identified as a suspect by the authorities and now faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

    Both ex-officials can be released on bail.  

    Another unnamed defense ministry official, a non-staff adviser to the deputy defense minister of Ukraine, was also identified as a suspect in relation to the alleged embezzlement of 1.7 billion hryvnias (€43 million) from the defense budget, the General Prosecutors Office of Ukraine reported.  

    When asked about corruption cases against former staffers, Reznikov stressed people had to be considered innocent until proven guilty.

    Reputational risk

    At the press conference on Sunday, Reznikov claimed that during his time in the defense ministry, he managed to reorganize it, introduced competition into food supplies and filled empty stocks.

    However, the anti-corruption department of the ministry completely failed, he admitted. He argued the situation in the department was so unsatisfactory that the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption gave him an order to conduct an official audit of employees. And it showed the department had to be reorganized.

    “At a closed meeting with the watchdogs and investigative journalists I offered them to delegate people to the reloaded anti-corruption department. We also agreed to create a public anti-corruption council within the defense ministry,” Reznikov said.

    Nikolov was one of the watchdogs attending the closed meeting. He said the minister did not bring any invoices or receipts for food products for the army, or any corrected contract prices to the meeting. Moreover, the minister called the demand to reveal the price of an egg or a potato “an idiocy” and said prices should not be published at all, Nikolov said in a statement. Overpriced eggs were one of the features of the inflated catering contracts that received particular public attention.

    Reznikov instead suggested creating an advisory body with the public. He would also hold meetings, and working groups, and promised to provide invoices upon request, the journalist added.

    “So far, it looks like the head of state, Zelenskyy, has lost patience with the antics of his staff, but some of his staff do not want to leave their comfort zone and are trying to leave some corruption options for themselves for the future,” Nikolov said.

    Reznikov was not personally accused of any wrongdoing by law enforcement agencies.

    But the minister acknowledged that there was reputational damage in relation to his team and communications. “This is a loss of reputation today, it must be recognized and learned from,” he said. At the same time, he believed he had nothing to be ashamed of: “My conscience is absolutely clear,” he said.



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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

  • Disney drops ‘Simpsons’ episode in Hong Kong that mentions forced labor in China

    Disney drops ‘Simpsons’ episode in Hong Kong that mentions forced labor in China

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    Disney has pulled an episode of “The Simpsons” that includes a line about “forced labor camps” in China from its streaming platform in Hong Kong. 

    The episode — first shown in October last year and titled “One Angry Lisa” — features a scene in which Marge Simpson takes a virtual exercise bike class with an instructor in front of a virtual background of the Great Wall of China. The instructor says: “Behold the wonders of China. Bitcoin mines, forced labor camps where children make smartphones, and romance.”

    China’s use of forced labor and mass internment camps to control the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region culminated in a U.N. assessment that concluded Beijing’s actions may constitute crimes against humanity, although China rejects any claims of human rights violations in Xinjiang.

    The “Simpsons” episode is no longer available on the Disney+ platform in Hong Kong, the Financial Times reported Monday, citing experts on censorship that claim Disney might have removed the episode out of concern for its business in mainland China.

    This is the second time the platform has been accused of self-censorship in Hong Kong. In 2021, it reportedly dropped an episode of “The Simpsons” that made reference to Tiananmen Square, the scene of a brutal massacre of pro-democracy protesters in Beijing in 1989.

    In response to a request for comment, the Hong Kong government told the FT a film censorship system introduced in 2021, which forbids films from endangering national security, “does not apply to streaming services.” A spokesperson for the government did not comment on whether it had asked Disney to remove the episode.

    In recent years, Beijing has cracked down on Hong Kong’s freedoms, sparking mass protests and international criticism.

    Disney could not be reached for comment.



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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

  • P T Usha alleges security threat in her academy; breaks down before media

    P T Usha alleges security threat in her academy; breaks down before media

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    Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: Legendary athlete and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha on Saturday broke down before the media alleging that illegal constructions were being carried out at her academy campus in Kozhikode district and strangers were trespassing into the property posing a security threat to the inmates.

    Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, she said those at the Usha School of Athletics had been facing such harassment and security issues for some time and it has intensified after she became the Rajya Sabha Member.
    Usha had been nominated to the Upper House by the BJP in July 2022.

    The “sprint queen” appealed to the Left government in Kerala and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to intervene into the issue and take immediate steps to stop the alleged encroachment and trespassing into the campus and ensure the safety of women athletes there.”Of the 25 women athletes in the Usha schools, 11 were from north India. It is our responsibility to ensure their safety. I submitted a written complaint to the Chief Minister in this regard,” she said.

    A teary-eyed Usha also said waste is being dumped on a large scale on the campus, which is also facing threat from the drug mafia but the local panchayat was not letting the academy management to construct a compound wall.

    “An illegal construction was made just in the middle of the campus by someone and when we asked, they said they had the approval of the panchayat authorities for it. The school management also had to suffer rude behaviour when they questioned this encroachment,” she said.

    Usha said the 30-acre land, where the Usha School of Athletics is located, was handed over to them by the previous Oommen Chandy led-Congress government in the state for 30 years on lease.

    Asked whether those at her academy were facing harassment and ill-treatment after she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP, she said each political party had the habit of considering her as a member of its political rival.

    “The Congress would say I am a CPI(M) sympathiser while the Marxist party would say I have an affiliation to the BJP.
    “I have no politics and I used to help everyone in all possible ways,” she added.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • China’s Mideast buildup stirs security worries for U.S.

    China’s Mideast buildup stirs security worries for U.S.

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    China has previously used spending on pipelines, ports and other commercial facilities to pave the way for military bases near strategic locations such as the mouth of the Red Sea, the CSIS authors write. Now, China’s investment in regional ports and infrastructure in Oman and the United Arab Emirates could provide an entry point for Chinese naval ships in the strait. Such ships already travel nearby waters to patrol against pirate vessels.

    “China has laid the groundwork for something it might do in the future,” said Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow at the CSIS China Power Project. “It’s all about giving itself options.”

    He added: “China has cast a wide net in the region, which gives it plenty of leverage. And a military facility on the western side of the Arabian peninsula does make sense from a military planning standpoint.”

    The Biden administration has kept an eye on Beijing’s presence in the area, said a senior administration official who requested anonymity because of lack of authorization to speak to the media.

    “The administration is focused on infrastructure buildout by China and has developed strategies with our G7 allies to ensure a global high-quality and diversified supply chain,” the official said.

    The CSIS report documents China’s billions of dollars of investment over the past decade in port facilities in the UAE and Oman, two countries that straddle the strait across the water from Iran. The expansion of Beijing’s footprint at the Khalifa Port in the UAE, plus its ownership stake at a fuels storage terminal at the country’s Port of Fujairah about 100 miles to the east and investment at Duqm Port in Oman, raise the issue of Chinese power growing in the region, the report says.

    The report notes that the China Harbour Engineering Co. won a bid in October 2022 to build a 700,000-square-meter container yard and 36 supporting buildings at Khalifa Port. The company is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Co., one of the firms that the Trump administration sanctioned for supporting China’s construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea.

    Years earlier, Shanghai-based shipping giant COSCO signed a $738 million agreement to build a container terminal at the same port. The deal includes provisions giving China exclusive design, construction and management rights over the terminal for 35 years.

    Good reasons exist for concern that the Chinese government may use its commercial relationships in the Hormuz Strait as a foundation for the development of a military foothold in the region.

    Beijing parlayed its commercial relations with Djibouti to seal a deal in 2014 to allow the Chinese navy to use the African country’s port near the mouth of the Red Sea. Beijing used that agreement to establish a naval installation in 2017 that U.S. Africa Command has accused of using military- grade lasers to harass U.S. fighter pilots landing in Djibouti.

    Western interests worry that Beijing’s focus on the area may eventually lay the groundwork for the Chinese military to add its presence to the area. The U.S. government has flagged this as a concern for years. The Defense Department noted in a report to Congress last year that China is “likely” considering the UAE as a location for military logistics facilities.

    “The [Persian] Gulf area is now going to become a contested region, subject to superpower strategic competition,” said John O’Connor, chief executive at J.H. Whitney Investment Management, a firm that analyzes geopolitical risk. “And that’s a new feature, not a bug.”

    Not everyone thinks a military buildup is inevitable, however.

    Other assessments of China’s military in the Strait of Hormuz suggest that it’s highly unlikely that Beijing will seek to extend its reach in the region with the creation of facilities for People’s Liberation Army Navy units or personnel. A RAND Corp. analysis published in December that rated the relative attractiveness of 24 countries for potential PLA facilities assessed the possibility of such a development in the UAE as “low feasibility” due to the Pentagon’s close scrutiny of the country and the Arab nation’s dealings with potential rivals.

    And China has its own concerns about the flow of oil out of the strait that would make it want to build up infrastructure there. It has surpassed the United States as the world’s No. 1 consumer of oil and heavily depends on the Middle East for much of its supply. Ports and storage facilities could be a way to protect China’s own supply from being disrupted in an area known for regional conflict.

    Other analysts say the PLA doesn’t need to establish formal military facilities in strategic ports where Chinese state firms are already present.

    “Rather than raise international threat perceptions with overt shows of military presence, the PLA may opt to embed plainclothes personnel … and use nominally commercial warehousing, communications, and other equipment to quietly meet military needs,” an article in the spring 2022 edition of the journal International Security concluded.

    Despite China’s substantial and growing economic and political relations with the UAE and Oman, “I don’t see any indications that China currently seeks to establish a base or enduring military presence in either of those countries, or elsewhere in the Middle East,” said Dawn Murphy, associate professor of national security strategy at the National War College and an expert on China’s relations in the Middle East. “I see no signs that China desires to fundamentally change its security presence in the Middle East, pick sides between countries, or challenge the U.S. security role in the region – for now China is primarily an economic and political power in the region.”

    Still, a heavy Chinese presence in the area could roil oil markets if concerns over possible military tensions with the United States or Europe over Taiwan spill into the area. Crude prices often spike whenever anxieties grow over friction between the U.S. and Iran.

    That China’s buildup in the area can raise concerns in the United States shows how oil politics can still loom large for the U.S., the world’s biggest oil producer. Even a benign presence at the choke point would give Chinese companies information about fuel or ship movements that they could send back to Beijing as intelligence, said Republican aides with the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

    “Everything in the private industry in China is somewhat connected to the larger CCP or the PLA,” said the official, who was granted anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to be quoted in the media. “Even if you’re a private company, you might be called upon by the Chinese government to share intel.”

    At worst, having a direct PLA presence on the Strait of Hormuz would set off alarm bells among energy security experts, said Scott Modell, chief executive of consulting firm Rapidan Energy and a former Central Intelligence Agency officer who served in the Middle East, Central Asia and Latin America.

    “National security hawks like me will view the news of Chinese bases along the Strait of Hormuz as an unacceptable threat to U.S. national security, sensing that Beijing’s long-term objective is the placement of military bases at choke points around the world to offset the risk to strategic commodity flows in the event of a major geopolitical event such as a forced reunification with Taiwan,” Modell said.

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    ( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

  • Germany, Italy close Istanbul consulates over security concerns in Turkey

    Germany, Italy close Istanbul consulates over security concerns in Turkey

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    Istanbul: Germany and Italy have joined the growing list of Western countries having their consulates in Istanbul temporarily closed over security concerns, as Turkey is on high alert against possible retaliation for Quran burning incidents in several European countries.

    The German Embassy in the capital Ankara announced on social media that the consulate in Istanbul was closed on Wednesday for security concerns. Meanwhile, the Italian Consulate General in Istanbul issued a statement on its website saying the consulate would be closed on Thursday.

    The first to close its consulate in Istanbul was the Netherlands, which took the move on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

    “The recent demonstrations in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, where a Quran was burned and torn up respectively, can evoke anti-Western feelings and lead to demonstrations and protests,” the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a travel advisory to Turkey on Monday.

    “There is also an increased threat of an attack against Western targets, diplomatic representations, and places of worship, particularly in Istanbul,” it warned.

    Britain issued a similar travel advisory on Tuesday, warning of “a heightened threat of terrorist attacks against churches, synagogues, embassies, consulates, and other places frequented by Westerners in Istanbul”.

    As a precaution, the British Consulate General in Istanbul has been closed to the public since Tuesday.

    France and the US have also issued travel warnings for Turkey following the Quran burning incidents.

    On Monday, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced that it had raised its security measures to the highest level against possible Islamic State and al-Qaida retaliation.

    “Evaluations were made against all possible provocations, and our security measures were maximised after the sinister actions against our holy book, the Quran, in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark,” read a statement by the Ministry.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Odisha CM expresses concern on reduction of MGNREGS, food security in Union Budget

    Odisha CM expresses concern on reduction of MGNREGS, food security in Union Budget

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    Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday expressed concern over reduction of funds for MGNREGS and food security scheme in the Union Budget for 2023-24.

    Patnaik said the budget has some good aspects which needs to be appreciated and there are some concerns which need to be looked into, and addressed.

    “I have concerns regarding the drastic reduction of funds for MGNREGS. This will hit the poor people. The reduction in food security budget along with reduction in procurement will hit the poor people as well as farmers,” he said.

    About Rs 80,000 crores was spent on procurement in 2021-22 while only about Rs 60,000 crores is kept in this budget. This will cause serious problems in selling crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), he said.

    While in 2021-22 an amount of Rs 2 lakh crores was spent under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), in this budget only Rs 1.37 lakh crore is kept for this purpose, pointed out the CM.

    Patnaik also said that there has been a decrease or no growth in health and education sectors.

    He further said that the budget provision for Ayushman Bharat scheme is Rs 7,200 crore for the entire country while Odisha spends almost about Rs 2,400 crore on Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) in private facilities alone.

    “If we include government facilities, it would be around Rs 6,000 crores annually under the BSKY. Health is an important priority for our state and we believe in investing and in sincere efforts,” he said.

    Slamming the Odisha BJP leaders, who are pressing hard for implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha, Patnaik said he now hopes that the BJP state leadership will stop hoodwinking the people of Odisha.

    Speaking about the good steps taken by the Centre in the Budget, he said the increased capital investment, support to drinking water initiatives, and increasing rural housing will accelerate growth as well as have social impact in rural areas.

    He also welcomed the Prime Minister’s thrust on millets. Stating that Odisha Millet Mission is a pioneering initiative in the country, Patnaik said he feels happy that millets have been given importance in the budget.

    “The focus on new world technologies like artificial intelligence, internet of things etc. is appreciable. These are some of the good aspects of the budget. The focus on primitive tribal groups is a welcome step,” he added.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Israel’s cyber security chief blames Iran for cyberattacks

    Israel’s cyber security chief blames Iran for cyberattacks

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    Jerusalem: Gaby Portnoy, Director-General of Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), has accused Iran of “leading an aggressive, orchestrated campaign against Israel’s cyberspace”.

    Portnoy made the remarks on Tuesday at the annual CyberTech Global conference held in the coastal city of Tel Aviv with the participation of hundreds of companies, startups, government entities, and organizations, Xinhua news agency reported.

    “The Israeli cyberspace experiences attacks much like other countries, except we also have Iran on top of all of them,” he said.

    Portnoy claimed that the INCD in 2022 thwarted about 1,000 major cyberattacks, “which could have caused widespread and substantial damage to the Israeli economy.”

    Moreover, the official also introduced at the conference the INCD’s “cyber dome” system, which he said will provide various free cybersecurity tools and services to eligible organizations through a public portal.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Israel’s cyber security chief blames Iran for cyberattacks

    Israel’s cyber security chief blames Iran for cyberattacks

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    Jerusalem: Gaby Portnoy, Director-General of Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), has accused Iran of “leading an aggressive, orchestrated campaign against Israel’s cyberspace”.

    Portnoy made the remarks on Tuesday at the annual CyberTech Global conference held in the coastal city of Tel Aviv with the participation of hundreds of companies, startups, government entities, and organizations, Xinhua news agency reported.

    “The Israeli cyberspace experiences attacks much like other countries, except we also have Iran on top of all of them,” he said.

    Portnoy claimed that the INCD in 2022 thwarted about 1,000 major cyberattacks, “which could have caused widespread and substantial damage to the Israeli economy.”

    Moreover, the official also introduced at the conference the INCD’s “cyber dome” system, which he said will provide various free cybersecurity tools and services to eligible organizations through a public portal.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • JNU renews contract of campus security firm despite controversies

    JNU renews contract of campus security firm despite controversies

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    New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday said it has renewed the contract of Cyclops Security a firm whose staff has been accused of mishandling student protesters and committing theft on the campus.

    The JNU Teachers’ Association and several student bodies have raised the demand of replacing the firm.

    “This is for information of all that w.e.f. 01.02.2023 at 0700 hours new Security Service Contract with Cyclops Security will start,” the JNU administration said in a statement.

    “All new Civilian Security Guards will take over the duties from Ex-Serviceman officers Security Guards. All JNU Residents are, therefore, requested to cooperate with the new security guards,” the notification added.

    The administration said that security is the collective responsibility of all residents and their active cooperation with the security staff is required for a safe and secure campus.

    Several incidents of theft on the campus have been reported in recent years. JNUTA too highlighted the issue of increasing incidents of theft last year in a statement.

    “The Cyclops Security and Allied Services Pvt Ltd have to be held responsible for what can be described at best as their complete dereliction of duty to carry out the services they were hired for,” JNUTA had said in a statement last year in March.

    Cyclops Security has been in charge of JNU’s security since the time of the previous Vice-Chancellor, M Jagadesh Kumar. However, despite multiple thefts, the security firm has not been dismissed.

    Following the 2020 clashes on the campus, the security agency was accused of colluding with ABVP by allowing them to enter the premises of the University and attack staff and students.

    On 5 January 2020, masked people armed with rods and sticks attacked several students and teachers and injured scores of them.

    After the incident, Jagadesh Kumar had said that the administration was in the process of appointing a new security agency.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Hyderabad: Police to maintain high security at new Secretariat

    Hyderabad: Police to maintain high security at new Secretariat

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    Hyderabad: The state police will provide high security to the new Telangana Secretariat Building that is likely to be inaugurated on February 17. 

    Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari discussed the security arrangements relating to the Dr B R Ambedkar Secretariat Complex on Tuesday.

    Three companies of Telangana Special Police and 300 city police personnel will take care of the security of the Secretariat building. In all 22 personnel from traffic police have been allotted for the purpose. The security equipment like baggage scanners, vehicle scanners, body scanners will be put to use.

    The authorities set up six sentry posts have been set up around the Secretariat. In all 300 CCTV cameras have been installed to oversee the security arrangements.

    A special command control room has been set up to oversee the security arrangements. Monitoring of visitors will be done through Special identity cards. Two fire Engines with 34 staff along with fire safety arrangements in Secretariat building have been made. Special arrangements have been made for physically challenged people. Visitors will be allowed in all floors except the sixth floor. 

    During the meeting Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar, special chief secretary (MAUD) Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary IT Jayesh Ranjan, R and B Secretary Srinivas Raju, CP CV Anand, SPF DG Umesh Sharaf, Additional DG Sanjay Kumar Jain, Director General of Fire Services Nagi Reddy, Additional DGP Intelligence Anil Kumar, and others attended the meeting.

    The Secretariat complex which is spread over 28 acres has a built up area of 9.42 lakh sft Parking arrangements has provision to park 560 cars and more than 900 two wheelers.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )