Chamal says no need to deploy more cops to guard MPs

‘Police short of manpower’

By Saman Indrajith

Irrigation Minister and Internal security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management State Minister Chamal Rajapaksa told parliament yesterday that policemen were there for the protection of the people and not to carry the files and bags of MPs.

Minister Rajapaksa said: Policemen are there to carry out police duties. There are about 85,000 policemen. Of them, 38,000 have been assigned for close protection duties of MPs and others. But if the MPs have no confidence to go among people without the police protection that is something the MPs should be ashamed of. We are not increasing the number of policemen assigned to MPs so that the MPs could make use of them for other purposes such as carrying their bags and files. Do not worry about security. We give security not only to the MPs but also to the people. Providing policemen to MPs started in 1989. The MPs were allowed to recruit five persons of their choice to the Reserve Police Service of the police so that they would be detailed for the security of those MPs after training. After that owing to LTTE threats two or three more policemen from the regular force were assigned to each MP. As per the most recent arrangement, each MP has been given four policemen for their protection by the Ministerial Security Division. But now there is a shortage of policemen in other divisions so a decision has been taken to decrease the number of policemen assigned to an MP to two. “What does an MP want – more policemen around them or police having enough policemen to attend to the problems of the people in their electorates?”

The Minister said so when Matara District SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana asked for increasing the number of policemen assigned to the MPs. MP Pathirana said that some MPs had raised their voice against drug kingpins and other criminals who could target those MPs. “It was recently reported that a drug baron in prison issued death threats to the Defence Secretary and the President. Such is the power of the drug lords. So the policemen assigned to the MPs should be increased, MP Pathirana said.

SJB MPs S. M. Marikkar and Thushara Indunil endorsed MP Pathirana’s request.

 Minister Rajapaksa said that the MPs did not have to worry about their security because the government was strong enough to ensure that all people including the MPs would be safe. “If we accede to the demand to increase the numbers of policemen given to the MPs, then we have to increase the recruitment.”