Delhi Police to guard CGO complex, CISF withdrawn

The complex, in heart of Delhi, has offices of important government ministries and departments like National Informatics Centre

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The Union Home Ministry has finally handed over the security of Central Government Offices (CGO) complex, which houses several sensitive departments, in the national capital to Delhi Police, taking the task away from the central paramilitary CISF.

The complex, in the heart of Delhi, has offices of important government ministries and departments like the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, headquarters of central paramilitary forces and ministries of Environment and Forests and New and Renewable Energy.

"The Delhi police will now look after the security of the CGOs complex. After a series of deliberations and discussions in the Ministry of Home Affairs, it was decided to hand over the task to the local police taking it away from the CISF," a senior official said.

The Delhi Police squad, which will guard the complex, will also have an armed quick response team too, the official said.

A proposal to earmark a 60-personnel contingent of the Delhi Police has also been approved for the task and till the time this is operationalised, the existing manpower of the local police will be used to guard the facility, sources privy to the development said.

A platoon (30 to 60 personnel) of 24 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has also been requisitioned by the Delhi police for sometime, till the regular squad takes charge at the venue, sources said.

Under the new arrangement, there will be no armed security for the complex and the security personnel will also not issue token to vehicles entering the complex.

The Union Home Ministry had ordered withdrawal of armed CISF personnel from the complex beginning the midnight of August 31 this year .

The CISF was deployed at the CGOs complex since 2007 after threat inputs were analysed by security agencies.

Terrorists had managed to trigger some explosive material outside the CGO complex in May, 2001 which was followed by recovery of arms a few months later.

The proximity of the offices of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and CBI had also prompted CISF to keep in readiness an armed Quick Reaction Team to deal with any terror bid.

A host of offices of ministries like the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Health are also functioning from the complex.