Patna, July 4:The Bihar government has reinstated 'Z' category security for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, according to an official notification issued on Saturday.

The order, released by the Special Branch of the Home Department, states that the decision was taken following the recommendation of the State Security Committee. As part of the upgraded security arrangement, both leaders will receive a dedicated bulletproof vehicle along with protection from a specialised Headquarters Reaction Team (HQRT).

The restoration of the high-level security cover marks a reversal of the state's earlier decision to downgrade their protection. The 'Z' category security provides an enhanced security detail designed to ensure the safety of the two senior RJD leaders.

The development follows events from June 6, when Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi asked the remaining security personnel stationed outside their official residence at 10 Circular Road in Patna to leave after the Bihar government withdrew their Z-plus security cover and revised their security arrangements.

The security changes coincided with the state government's directive asking Rabri Devi to vacate the 10 Circular Road bungalow, which has since been allotted to Bihar minister Nand Kishore Ram. According to the government, Rabri Devi had already been allocated an alternative official residence on Hardinge Road in her capacity as the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council but had not shifted there.

Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, while addressing a public gathering in Sheikhpura, said that official residences are public assets and should not be treated as personal property.

"The Chief Minister's residence belongs to the people. It cannot be treated as anyone's personal fiefdom or ancestral property," Chaudhary said, adding that he had vacated his own official accommodation within 24 hours after his tenure ended.