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The Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF), a specialized force modeled after the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), is tasked with securing seven newly constructed airports in Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Sonbhadra, Shravasti, Aligarh, Moradabad, and Azamgarh.
A senior official from the home department announced on Thursday that the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, Sanjay Prasad, issued an order on October 20, directing the deployment of UPSSF personnel at these airports. The order also instructs the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) to define the roles of UPSSF and local police and determine their respective responsibilities in security before deploying the force.
The UPSSF became operational on September 1, 2022, with the deployment of 30 personnel at Lok Bhawan in Lucknow. This force is specifically tasked with providing security for VIP installations, various courts in Uttar Pradesh, airports, banks, and metro stations. The state government established this force on December 31, 2019, following a high-profile killing of a double murder accused in a courtroom in Bijnor district before the chief judicial magistrate.
UPSSF officials have confirmed that the first unit of trained commandos has been deployed at Lok Bhawan.
The first batch of 200 UPSSF personnel was deputed from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and civil police and completed nine months of specialized training at the Sitapur police training college in August of the previous year. This training encompassed six months of regular commando training and three months of specialized training to guard VVIP installations, courts, airports, banks, and metros by analyzing risk factors at these locations.
Another senior police official noted that the state government sanctioned 5,124 positions of different ranks for UPSSF in April 2022. This included 87 posts for UPSSF headquarters in Lucknow and 5,037 posts for five companies to be established in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Mathura, Gorakhpur, and Saharanpur.
The authorized positions at the headquarters include one additional director general, one inspector general, one deputy inspector general, one commandant, one reserve inspector, six ministerial inspectors, 18 sub-inspectors, 12 head constables, and 40 constables.
The official also mentioned that posts for five commandants and five deputy commandants each, along with 25 assistant commandants, were sanctioned for the five UPSSF companies. In addition, positions for 163 company commanders, 219 platoon commanders at the sub-inspector rank, 853 armors/head constables, 3,219 constables, 340 drivers, 18 sub-inspector (ministerial) posts, 50 assistant sub-inspectors, five medical officers, 10 pharmacists, five radio inspectors, and 100 other radio communication posts were authorized.
