By SUNIL Sonkar

Lucknow, April 03 — Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati ceases to wait for the approval of Governor B.L. Joshi for the Special Zone Protection Force (SZPF) Bill and makes a decision of raising the force within next three weeks.

The special zone security force will be deployed for the security and protection of buildings of historical and cultural importance, parks, statues and monuments that has been built by the Maya government in memory of dalit icons in Lucknow and Noida spending about Rs 10,000 crore.

The decision was taken by the state cabinet in an emergency meeting on Friday presided over by the Chief Minister.

According to the decisions taken, the Mayawati government will be recruiting about 1,200 ex-soldiers and ex-army officials and they will be commanded by an officer of the rank of an ex-Army colonel. The state home department will be taking administrative control of the force directly.

“We hope to complete the recruitment in the next three weeks,” said Cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh.

The expenditure on the special force will be about Rs 8 crore annually.

Singh said further that a bill was passed by both Houses of the legislature on February 18 and was sent to governor B L Joshi. The bill, however, is still pending for the approval of the governor. On March 26 the government sent to the governor an ordinance containing the provisions of the bill with minor amendments.

Singh added that through an executive order the government had decided to raise the force.