MHA orders abolition of 34 CISF posts at Patanjali Food Park
The Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered the abolition of 34 CISF posts at Patanjali Food and Herbal Park in Haridwar following the security withdrawal.
In a significant administrative move, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to abolish all 34 sanctioned security posts at Swami Ramdev's Patanjali Food and Herbal Park Pvt Ltd in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. This decision follows the formal withdrawal of the paramilitary force from the premises earlier this year.
The MHA's directive comes months after the CISF ceased its security deployment at the establishment on May 4, 2024. By ordering the abolition of these posts, the Ministry is officially dismantling the sanctioned manpower structure that had been dedicated to protecting the food park.
Breakdown of the abolished security strength
The 34 sanctioned posts that are now being abolished represented a full operational unit capable of providing round-the-clock security. According to the official order, the composition of the security wing included:
- 1 Assistant Commandant
- 4 Sub-Inspectors
- 2 Assistant Sub-Inspectors
- 11 Head Constables
- 16 Constables
The MHA has also issued a clear instruction to the CISF to ensure that any pending or outstanding dues owed by the management of Patanjali Food and Herbal Park are fully reimbursed to the force.
A decade of security: From clashes to withdrawal
The CISF's involvement at the Patanjali facility dates back to June 2015. The deployment was originally triggered by a violent confrontation in May 2015 between the establishment's security guards and members of a local truck union. The clash arose from protests by the union against the food park's practice of hiring truck operators from outside the Haridwar region for product transportation.
The 2015 incident resulted in a fatality and led to the arrest of 10 individuals, including Rambharat, the brother of yoga guru Ramdev. Following the unrest, the government stationed the CISF to maintain order at the site. For nearly a decade, the food park's administration had been funding these security services through payments made to the Central Government.
Formalizing the end of the deployment
The recent communication from the MHA has been circulated to several high-ranking officials, including the Director General of the CISF, the Additional Director General (North), and the Chief Executive Officer of Patanjali Food and Herbal Park Pvt Ltd. This move effectively closes the chapter on the paramilitary presence at the Haridwar-based herbal park, formalizing the transition that began when the troops physically exited the site in May.