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The major security breach in Parliament on Wednesday brought to the fore shortcomings in the security protocol, driven in part by the shortage of parliamentary staff assigned to enforce it, a point made by some leaders in the all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The two accused, Manoranjan D and Sagar Sharma, who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber had visitors' passes for 45 minutes but they stayed in the visitors' gallery for close to two hours, in violation of the rules, sources said.
Parliament's security staff used to usher visitors out from the gallery near the deadline of their stay but their deployment has been nearly absent in the galleries of the new building as they have been busy with duties at different places amid changing security needs and requirement of the new place, the sources said.
They said the sanctioned strength of security officials in the hierarchy ranging from Special Director (Security) to Security Assistant Grade-II is around 301 while the actual strength is 176 -- a vacancy of 125.
Importantly, the biggest chunk of vacancies are among entry-level officials, the nut and bolt of security apparatus, the sources added.
Against a sanctioned strength of 72 in Security Assistant Grade-II, the actual strength is only nine, they said, adding that the corresponding figure for Security Assistant Grade-I is 24 against a sanctioned strength of 69.
The sources claimed that there has been no fresh recruitment for over 10 years.
Birla assured members of all parties that a thorough review of security arrangements will be made and corrective measures taken following the incident, which came on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack.