Expenditure on VIP security unknown while common man battles worsening law and order situation

By NewsGram Staff Writer

On one side where law and order situation is going from bad to worse, the resources employed for the security of a few VIPs is difficult to calculate.

"As regards expenditure on security, the same is difficult to determine precisely as it would include salary and allowances to security personnel, communication, transport vehicles etc. which are accounted for under respective budget heads of different security agencies, including State Government agencies, involved in providing security cover. Such details are not compiled centrally and so cannot be provided," said Minister of State for Home Affairs, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in Lok Sabha today.

There are about 275 individuals in the country including Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi who have been given the privilege of extra security.

"Security cover is provided to individuals by virtue of the posts held by them viz. the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Union Ministers, Chief Justice/Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Speakers of the Lok Sabha and their counterparts in the State Government set-up and some senior Government functionaries dealing with sensitive subjects having a bearing on national security. Security cover is also provided to an individual on the basis of comprehensive 'assessment-of-threat' carried out by the security agencies," the minister said.

Since 'Law and Order' is a State subject under the Constitution, the responsibility for providing security to an individual who is ordinarily resident in or happens to be under the jurisdiction of a State Government, lies primarily with the State Governments concerned, Chaudhary said.

The Central Government also provides security cover on the basis of assessment of threat to some individuals. Thus the number of protected in the Central List varies from time to time. However, as on date, there are 275 threat-based protected in the Central List, as per details below:

"Z+" category – 31
"Z" category – 77
"Y" category – 136
"X" category – 31
Total – 275
(IANS)