In today’s day and age, when terrorism of various hues is a real threat, VIP security needs cannot be dismissed as irrelevant. Yet, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that there is far too much of it in India, much of it driven by the aspiration for the ‘status’ that having armed bodyguards confers on people.
Governments at the state and centre need to take a hard look at just how much of the resources now devoted to VIP security are actually needed. It should not have needed a prod from the apex court for them to do so. After all, it is their duty to ensure the optimum use of the resources provided by taxpayer money. Need, not desire, must dictate who gets a security cover and how much of it.
India’s police personnel to population ratio is 1: 761, but there are as many as 47,557 cops protecting 14,842 VIPs across the country or three police personnel to one protectee even as rising crime poses a serious threat to the security of the common citizen.
Excessive deployment of police persons to secure VIPs is not just a Delhi’s phenomena where the country’s who’s who lives as the VIP security is highest in Punjab followed by Delhi and Assam. In fact, hardly any state is immune from the red and blue beacon syndrome.
Government’s figures show the 14,842 VIPs enjoying state protection are also drawing more than what they are entitled to by way of police escorts — 15,081 personnel in excess of what has been actually sanctioned for their security.
The figures, released by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) of the ministry of home affairs, show a staggering deployment of police personnel for security duties rather than basic tasks like making the nation’s streets safer. It is hardly surprising that police forces remain overworked and understaffed.
The data, as on January 1, 2012, presents a grim scenario with some states like West Bengal having one cop for 1,658 citizens. Delhi is slightly better with one cop for 253 people but it is no surprise that the efficiency of the city police is impacted with a dozen police personnel guarding each of 427 VIPs – adding up to around 5,000 cops.
In fact, states like Bihar have a far more lop-sided ratio (1,456), followed by UP (1,173), Dadra & Nagar Haveli (1,046) and MP (962).
Although the number of protected persons dipped last year as compared to 2010, deployment for VIP security is still quite high as compared to the sanctioned strength for this purpose as are the number of VIP protectees.
Although the number of protected persons dipped last year as compared to 2010, deployment for VIP security is still quite high as compared to the sanctioned strength for this purpose as are the number of VIP protectees.
VERY PROTECTED PERSONSIn 2011, 47,557 cops protected 14,842 VIPs — 15,081 more cops than the sanctioned number
In capital, there are 8,049 cops for VIP security, just 3,448 for crime prevention/ investigation, Delhi Police tells SC
States with max cops on VIP security:
Punjab 5,811, Assam 4,278, Andhra Pradesh 3,995, Bihar 3,664, UP 3,087
States with max people given protection:
Bihar 3,033, Punjab 1,798, Bengal 1,698, UP 1,345, Assam 1,048
States with worst ratio of cops to citizens:
Bengal 1 for 1,658, Bihar 1,456, UP 1,173, MP 962 & Andhra Pradesh 953
3 cops for 1 VIP in India 1 cop for 761 citizens 3,664 AP policemen engaged in VIP security: In 2011, as many as 3,030 people were given police security in Bihar, followed by Punjab (1,798) and West Bengal (1,698).
The data, comprising figures for 2011 and 2010, reveal how different states and Union Territories tend to deploy more and more cops for VIP security than the sanctioned strength of police personnel for this purpose, faced with an increasing clamour for a security detail that is seen as a status symbol. Though the Union home ministry had in the last two years pruned the central list of VIP protectees, including ministers and bureaucrats, by constantly reviewing the ‘real’ threat perception, states do not seem to respond accordingly despite facing a huge shortage of police personnel.
In 2010, all the states and UTs together deployed 50,059 police personnel for protecting 16,788 VIPs, including ministers, MPs, MLAs, bureaucrats and judges. Interestingly, deployment of police personnel for these VIPs during the year was 21,761 more than what was actually sanctioned for their security. The data, presented to the home ministry by the BPR&D, also shows that Punjab, which reports a vacancy of around 12,000 police personnel, topped the list sparing 5,811 cops to secure VIPs followed by Delhi (5,183), Assam (4,278) and Andhra Pradesh (3,664) despite facing shortage.
Though these figures slightly vary for Delhi as it has to deploy more whenever VIPs of other states or foreign dignitaries have to visit the national Capital, the BPR&D has taken into account the deployment figure of six months while arriving at the final data.
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