LUCKNOW, June 15: At a rented house in Gomti Nagar in Lucknow, 22 police officers spend their days almost doing nothing. It's an entire special police force - they include an Additional Director General, two IGs, three DIGs and four SPs.The special force, Shanti Suraksha Bal (SSB), was created in 1991 by Mulayam Singh Yadav when he was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. The aim was to form a force parallel to the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), which has been charged with pro-Hindu leanings and aggressively partisan behaviour in communal riots.But the force did not take off as Mulayam's successors were not keen on it. Now, after seven years of existence in no-man's land, the Shanti Suraksha Bal is likely to be disbanded. Sources say the Kalyan Singh Government may soon issue an order to scrap the force.The SSB officers say the decision has already been taken and they have been informed. "We received a letter around 10 days ago, saying that the UP government has decided to wind up the force. Butthe process may take a long time," said Devi Singh Ashok, SP (Headquarters) of the SSB. When contacted, Special Secretary (Home) Praveen Singh, however, denied such an order."There are no orders from the Home Department to wind up the Shanti Suraksha Bal," he said.Mulayam's idea was to create a secular police force to tackle communal riots. Senior officials were placed in the wing soon after it was created and orders issued to recruit constables with the condition that each community, especially the Muslims, should get adequate representation.The cost of the paraphernalia for the new force was estimated at around Rs 50 crore. The original plan was to create 10 battalions of the Suraksha Bal, each with a force of 1,600 constables and headed by one SP, four ASPs and 18 DSPs. While five battalions were to be raised soon, the remaining five were to come into being later.The Mulayam Government was so serious about the proposal that it purchased land worth several crores in different districts forsetting up housing colonies for the SSB recruits. The recruitment process was halted when the Allahabad High Court stayed the process following a petition by a VHP leader. Mulayam's government collapsed and the government that followed did not appeal against the verdict. The issue got political overtones and Mayawati and Kalyan Singh put it on the back burner.The equipment and vehicles purchased for the Suraksha Bal have been diverted to other departments while the officers "operate" from the house rented at Rs 38,000 per month. The officers have not had special assignments for the past seven years. Headed by S M Nasim, who is the ADG, the officers are now passing time sending replies to queries raised in the Assembly in connection with police excesses.In fact, the wing has become a dumping ground of police officers on punishment postings. The SP (Headquarters) Ashok, who was perceived to be close to former chief minister Mayawati, was SSP, Mathura before he was shifted to the SSB. Most of theofficials posted at the SSB at present are either favourites of former Mayawati or Mulayam Singh Yadav.
