Jharkhand minister seeks more security

RANCHI - Jharkhand Excise Minister Gopal Krishna Patar alias Raja Peter Saturday sought additional security from the state government following threats from Maoists and his opponents.

“The security which has been provided to me is not enough. I have raised the security issue with the concerned authorities several times. I fear Maoists’ and opponents’ threats,” Raja Peter told reporters here.

He also expressed displeasure at not getting accommodation in state capital Ranchi.

“I have yet to get the house which was allotted to me,” he said.

Peter is a Janta Dal-United (JD-U) legislator from Tamar assembly constituency.

Tamar constituency, in Ranchi district, is one of the most Maoist-infested areas of the state. Former minister and JD-U legislator Ramesh Singh Munda was killed by Maoists in Bundu area of the district in 2008.

Raja Peter created history in Jharkhand by defeating the then chief minister Shibu Soren in Tamar assembly by-poll in 2009, as a result Soren had to step down.