Every year, the Centre spends a whopping Rs240 crore of taxpayers’ money to provide security cover to more than 400 persons, including private individuals, in Delhi. The expenses exclude the cost incurred on protecting the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, lok Sabha Speaker and Chief Justice of India.
Intriguingly, of the total expenditure, the Government devotes Rs28 crore annually on protecting private persons — 29 of whom face criminal charges, 44 are either children or family members of public functionaries and 89 public functionaries who have demitted office.
The information supplied by the Delhi Police came on a Delhi Government affidavit filed in Supreme Court on Wednesday. The court has sought details from all states and union territories on the security cover being provided to persons other than those entitled under the Constitution.
Delhi Police has supplied a list of 436 persons to the Court in a sealed cover which mentions the names of 386 Central Protectees and 50 local Protectees. These individuals include both public functionaries and private individuals.
Giving figures of expenses incurred on protecting persons on this exhaustive list, the affidavit filed just a day before the scheduled hearing of the case in SC on Thursday, said, “Delhi Police incurs a total amount of Rs19,91,18,252 approximately per month in providing security to all public functionaries and private individuals.” Of this, approximately Rs2.35 crore per month, which works out to Rs28.28 crore annually, is spent on security cover to private individuals alone.
The bulk demand of personnel for VIP security is met by Delhi Police having 2,546 personnel on round-the-clock security to protectees. Besides, a total of 1758 personnel are drawn from central paramilitary forces and State armed constabulary namely CISF, CRPF, ITBP, Rajasthan Armed Constabulary, Sikkim Police, Nagaland Armed Police, and Meghalaya Police.
The bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi on February 14 had also demanded information of security provided by states/UTs to children or family members of public functionaries, persons with criminal charges, and public functionaries who had demitted office.
Being the Capital having maximum addresses of central government functionaries besides state functionaries, the affidavit submitted names of 44 persons provided security on account of being the children and family members of public functionaries.
The affidavit also made a shocking revelation as regards 29 individuals who are facing criminal charges.
“Delhi Police has provided security to 23 Central Protectees and six local Protectees who are facing criminal charges at state expense and list of these 29 individuals as compiled from information obtained from the concerned states/UT authorities will be produced at the time of hearing in a sealed cover,” said the affidavit, filed by GP Singh, Additional Secretary (Home), Government of NCT of Delhi.
Responding to Court’s query about periodic review of security, Delhi Police stated that in March 2013, 12 local protectees were struck off the list. However, the list of central protectees is reviewed by the Ministry of Home Affairs which is in the process of finalising the result of review conducted on March 1 this year.