Andhra Pradesh Police chief today said invocation of section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act that allows the Governor to exercise special powers to maintain law and order in Hyderabad, was the need of the hour to protect the residents of common capital.
The Section 8 of the Act gives powers to the Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on maintaining law and order in Hyderabad, the common capital of the two States for 10 years starting June 2, 2014.
Under the current circumstances in Hyderabad, it was necessary to invoke Section 8 to empower the Governor to protect the residents of common capital and vital installations located in the city, Director General of Police J V Ramudu said.
He, however, did not elaborate on specific reasons for favoring the implementation of the provision, over which the Governments of Andhra and Telangana, created under the Act, had been engaged in a war of words. Andhra Pradesh favours its implementation but Telangana opposes any such move.
Ramudu was talking to reporters after attending a meeting of Onshore Security Coordination Committee organised by oil companies at a hotel here.
On the cases filed against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in connection with the alleged phone tapping episode, the DGP said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is looking into all aspects and it was early to say anything about the outcome.
Asked whether Telangana Police or their AP counterparts should provide security to the VVIPs of Andhra Pradesh in the joint capital, Ramudu said there were no differences between the two forces when it comes to protecting very important personalities.
On women safety in the State, the DGP said women in uniform are virtually absent in top echelons of Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada police.
"We have taken numerous steps to ensure the safety of women in the state and would recruit more women in the Police Department," he said.
The DGP said Maoists activities are under control along the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), once seen as a hotbed of Naxalism, and also in Visakhapatnam.
Ramudu dismissed as "publicity stunt" the protest week called by Maoists in the AOB area from tomorrow.
