Over 19,000 VIPs, including politicians, bureaucrats and judges, across the country were provided police protection for more than six months in 2019, with 66,000-plus police personnel deployed for their security round the clock.
Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), judges and bureaucrats were among those VIPs who got the security cover provided by these police personnel deputed by the states and Union Territories (UTs) concerned. The security cover was provided based on requirement, and analysis of threat perception.
The revelation came out with the release of Data on Police Organisations (DoPO) compiled by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), which mentioned that the trend was followed in all 37 states and Union Territories (UTs).
As per the data, released on Tuesday, a total of 19,467 people were provided police protection for more than six months involving 66,043 police personnel.
The number of protectees was little less than 2018, when 21,300 people were given police protection by 63,061 police personnel.
West Bengal was on top among all states and UTs in terms of number of protectees with 3,142 people given security cover by 6,247 police personnel in the state run by the Mamata Banerjee-headed Trinamool Congress government.
Punjab secured second place by providing security cover to 2,594 people while Bihar was on third rank in giving the facility to 2,347 people during 2019. In Punjab, a total of 7,714 police personnel were deployed for security cover while the number of these security personnel was 5,611 in Bihar.
Haryana followed with 1,355 protectees given security cover during the period, Jharkhand with 1,351, Assam with 1,199, and Jammu and Kashmir with 1,184.
Only one protectee was provided security cover in Dadar and Nagar Haveli engaging only one policeman in protection duty. Two persons were given police protection in Daman and Diu and five in Lakshadweep.
In the national capital, a total of 501 protectees were provided security cover for more than six months but engaged 8,182 police personnel in the duty—the maximum personnel deployed in the protection duty across the country.
Security cover is provided to VIPs by each state/UT from its sanctioned capacity which was enhanced to 43,566 in 2019 from 40,031 in 2018. The facility is provided to VIPs as per their mandatory security requirement or based on threat perception. The number of personnel engaged in security duty of the particular person is decided by the state and UT authorities concerned. IANS
