Saturday, December 10 2005 14:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Hardly a week after upgrading the security cover for Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad in view of threat perception from 'communal forces', the Centre has also accorded the 'Z Plus' security status to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, officials said here today (Dec 10, 2005).

"The union home ministry has accepted our proposal to upgrade Kumar's security to Z Plus," the sources told sources.

"Though providing security to the Chief Minister is the sole responsibility of the state administration in keeping with the Bihar Security Act, we approached the Centre for upgrading his security status as it will make mandatory for the concerned states to make elaborate arrangements for Kumar's visit anywhere in the country," they said.

Sufficient number of uniformed static guards, besides Bihar Military Police and special task force commandos would be deployed at the Chief Minister's residence and office keeping in view the topography of the place under the stepped up security.

Two additional escorts of strength 1-3 with automatic weapons and light bullet-proof jackets for mobile protection would also be provided to the Chief Minister, sources said.

In other states, the concerned State Government would arrange bullet-proof car wherever available for Kumar's road journeys with commandos carrying firepower, besides making sufficient security arrangements at the place of his stay.

Earlier, the Centre has upgraded the security cover of Lalu Prasad from 'Z' to 'Z Plus' with CRPF cover in Bihar and New Delhi after the RJD leader, fearing threat from communal forces, wrote to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil shortly after his party's defeat in assembly elections.