The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : New vehicles join CM's convoy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

New vehicles join CM's convoy

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MAY 15. The Chief Minister's security was strengthened on Saturday with induction of Tata Safaris into the convoy replacing Ambassadors.

Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy came to the Secretariat today to begin his official duties in a convoy consisting of five Tata Safaris, all in pearl silver. The Ambassadors, one of them a bullet-proof one used by N. Chandrababu Naidu, were withdrawn and set aside for allotment to Ministers.

The Government purchased seven Safaris following a decision, in fact, by the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet which wanted to meet the heightened security risks and threats emanating from PW naxalites with such specially manufactured vehicles. Now that a new Chief Minister took over, the vehicles were introduced into the system today.

All the vehicles in the convoy look alike leaving little scope to identify the vehicle in which the Chief Minister is travelling. The Safari meant for the Chief Minister, however, is bullet-proof one heavier in weight than the ordinary one. One of them is a (landmine) jammer for carrying which a Tata Sumo was used earlier.

There is a relaxed security atmosphere in the Secretariat. However, the Chief Security Officer, C. Yesuratnam, said, "There is no relaxation. We are alert as ever."

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