Kolkata: The West Bengal government might submit a detailed report on the security arrangements for the leader of the opposition (LoP)in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari to the Calcutta High Court by February next year.
State government sources said the move has been initiated following an order of the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench Jay Sengupta, on Thursday, directing the state government to submit an elaborate report on what sort of security the leader of the opposition is entitled for and what kind of the security he is being provided with currently.
Justice Sengupta has also fixed February 5 next year as the deadline for the state government to submit the report.
The single- judge bench of the Calcutta High Court passed the order on a case filed by Adhikari himself accusing the state government of lapses in the security arrangements which he is entitled for.
His counsel complained that the procedures of the provisions for pilot car route-lining in case of Z-category security, which he is entitled for, are often not followed strictly.
The state government sources said that since the leader of the government already enjoys the central armed forces security cover provided to him by the Union government, similar arrangements from the state government is not always necessary. However, they admitted that even after enjoying the Centre-provided security, the leader of the opposition can demand for the state- arranged security which he is legally entitled for.
Adhikari had in the past complained a number of times that the state government had not only been denying him his legitimate security arrangement but were also harassing him using the administration on several occasions.
According to him, the instances of his rushing to the court for permission for a public meeting every time it is denied by the administration is a classic example of the kind of harassment that he is facing.
