Should the amount spend on protection of VIP’s be put in public domain?
23 Mar, 2013The Delhi government has recently admitted in the Apex Court that 8,049 police personnel were deployed to protect VIP’s which has resulted in spending nearly Rs. 341 crore in one year. The Court had observed that the police personnel deployed for VIP security should be re-deployed for security of women.
In Tamilnadu, the actual working strength and sanctioned strength of policemen was 87,349 and 91,068 respectively and the police to population ratio is 1:713. As per the statistics available with the Bureau of Police Research and Development under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, it has been shown that in Tamilnadu, 388 policemen were deployed for protection of 102 VIPs, against 328 sanctioned posts. These VIP’s include film stars, ministers, MPs, MLAs, judges and bureaucrats at a ratio of about four police personnel to protect one VIP.
However, in response to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in October 2012, the state police department has informed that the amount spent for the protection of VIPs in Tamil Nadu and the number of policemen deployed for such security cannot be revealed. The reply has been provided in March 2013 wherein it has been claimed that the disclosure can prejudicially affect the personal security provided to the VIPs.
Civil society activists have claimed that the shortage of personnel in the force is affecting the security of the public and investigation of crime. Depending on the status and threat perception, four levels of security cover have been devised starting from the highest level of Z+, Z, Y and X. Should the money spent on deployment of policemen be disclsedo under suo-motu?