Road accidents have claimed the lives of various important dignitaries in the country, notable amongst them being the recent road tragedy that claimed the life of Union Minister Gopinath Munde, as well as those of former President Giani Zail Singh, former Union Minister Rajesh Pilot and former Delhi CM Sahib Verma. In this connection, attention has been drawn to the advisory issued by the Central Security Agencies to all State Police and Security Agencies. According to a source close to Imphal Times, the Ministry of Home Affairs, VIP Security Unit had written to the state Governments highlighting the protocols to be followed to mitigate the unforeseen dangers associated with road mishaps. The communiqué, it was reported, contains suggestions and security precautions which needs to be meticulously adhered to during road journeys of important dignitaries which include, among others, planning and following of traffic regulations, especially the speed limit, checking of vehicles for mechanical soundness and requisite safety features before the journey, coordination with the traffic police regarding the journey, worthiness of the driver- physically, technically and temperamentally. It was specifically mentioned in the list of dos and donts that Personal Security Officers (PSOs) must accompany the protectees assigned to them at all times, including road journeys- a protocol which is reportedly violated as the PSO assigned to the Governor/CM/Other Protected persons(PP) is not been allowed to accompany the PP in his /her main car. Another point worth mentioning is the directive for discouraging “VIP Complex” of the driver.
