Calcutta, Sept. 22: The Bengal government plans to assign a security guard to each IAS officer of the ranks of secretary, principal secretary and additional chief secretary.

Now, only the top two bureaucrats in Calcutta - the chief secretary and the home secretary - get personal security officers.

"A proposal has been mooted and a notification will be issued soon," a Nabanna source said.

According to the proposal, one armed security person will be deployed to guard every department secretary, principal secretary and additional chief secretary. The security cover will be provided 24X7.

Around 50-odd secretaries, principal secretaries and additional chief secretaries head the 64 government departments.

After serving for around 20 years, IAS officers get the rank of secretary, from where they are promoted as principal secretary. Some of them become additional chief secretaries, depending on seniority. Some state-cadre officers are promoted to the rank of secretary towards the end of their career.

Several theories on the decision are doing the rounds.

A section of bureaucrats said department secretaries had spoken among themselves about the need for security, especially when they visit the districts. Sources said senior officers were informed.

After Trinamul came to power, department secretaries are required to make regular visits to the districts to hold meetings. "The department secretaries are visiting the districts more often these days. This means their public interaction has increased. In a situation like this, the government thinks they need security," a senior bureaucrat said.

"This (the plan to provide security to senior IAS officers) is another indication that the law-and-order situation has deteriorated. That is why security is needed for the officers," said Manas Bhuniya, the Congress MLA from West Midnapore's Sabang.

Some bureaucrats said there could be another reason behind the move. They said several other states provide armed security guards to senior IAS officers.

"This may be the government's attempt to keep us in good humour by providing us security guards, which is the norm in some other states," an officer said.

A retired bureaucrat said the government might have plans of keeping the officers under surveillance and so was providing them security.

"The personal security officers move around with the IAS officers in their cars. The government can keep tabs on the IAS officers," he said.