Patna, Jan. 31: The Bihar government today approved the proposal to provide additional security guards to the legislators in the state. Under the new arrangement, the MLAs will be entitled to get three guards. Each minister will have as many as 18 policemen for their security.

Till now, each MLA and MLC had two bodyguards.

The state police headquarters had proposed the extra cover for people’s representatives after the daylight murder of Purnea MLA Rajkishore Keshari at his residence on January 4 by Rupam Pathak, a principal of a school.

“Apart from the security beef-up, those coming to meet the people’s representatives will be thoroughly frisked. If women come down to meet the people’s representatives, lady constables will frisk them,” ADG (headquarters) P.K. Thakur told The Telegraph.

The senior police officer said the three security guards deputed for the security of the MLAs, MPs and MLCs would work on eight-hour shifts.

“Earlier, two securitymen used to work on 12-hour shifts. The long duty hours of the personnel were a cause of concern. With three men on duty now, the working hours of each guard will be less,” Thakur said.

The redefined security cordon of the Bihar ministers will include an officer and three constables from the Special Branch.

“They will also be entitled to get the three guards the MLAs would have. Apart from these, there will be a total of 11 escorts-cum-house guards for the ministers. Of them, one will be an officer, two will be havildars and eight will be constables. All of them will be armed and allowed to frisk people thoroughly,” Thakur added.

When the minister is on the move, some personnel from the house guard division would be escorting him.

“When on the move, an officer, a havildar and four constables will be escorting the ministers. The rest will stay at the ministers’ residence, guarding his home. They will be dedicated only to the security of the ministers,” the officer added.

K.K. Jha, the general secretary of the Bihar Police Association, told The Telegraph the additional security cover to MLAs and ministers would hit the daily policing.

“This has come from the state government and we don’t have much say on it. But it will definitely have its impact on the policing, especially because we are perennially short of personnel,” he added.