Andhra Pradesh CM's security stepped up ahead of panel report on Telangana

Security for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has been scaled up following an increased "threat perception" from Telangana protagonists, highly-placed police sources said today.

The security for the chief minister has been scaled up also in view of the impending submission of Justice Srikrishna Committee report on Telangana to the Union home minister on December 31, they added.

The intelligence security wing (ISW), under which the chief minister's security group (CMSG) functions, is unwilling to reveal details about the enhanced security cover to Kiran due to "security reasons".

The extra protection measures will be in place when he tours Nizamabad and Warangal districts in the Telangana region tomorrow, the sources said.

However, the CM has been asked to cancel his scheduled trip to Dubbaka constituency in Medak district on December 30 following intelligence inputs that the pro-Telangana elements were planning to create trouble, they said.

"We have also received an advisory from Medak district collector and superintendent of police that the Dubbaka trip be cancelled. We are acting accordingly," an official in the chief minister's office said.

Ministers of Andhra Pradesh have also been put on high alert by ISW ahead of submission of the committee report.

Officials of the ISW have already briefed the ministers about the new security measures that are being put in place for their safety.

Specific instructions were issued to the personal staff of the ministers to keep the ISW informed well in advance about their movement and programmes.

Though the government has so far not enhanced the number of armed security personnel attached to each minister, it may happen by December 31, police sources said.

The police advisory on security has been issued to Ministers hailing not only from Telangana but also from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. Local police units in the respective districts and police commissionerates have been asked to provide extra security cover for the ministers' programmes.

Extra precautions would be taken in case of ministers from one region visiting the other on official work in view of the regional hostilities, they said.

"Of course, tours of ministers from one region to the other have become few and far between in the last one year. Barring one or two seniors, not all ministers are in fact going to districts other than their native. Most of them are not even moving out of Hyderabad," a top police officer pointed out.