The state has decided to enhance security of lawmakers at taxpayers’ expense.
On July 15, the government sanctioned creation of 29 posts of havildars (assistant sub-inspectors) and 522 posts of constables to meet the shortfall in forces securing VIPs. These are over the 528 existing havildars and 5,475 constables protecting VIPs in the state.
Home department sources said creation of the additional posts would cost the state exchequer Rs 17.96 crore per annum. The new posts have been created both for the district police and the special branch, which provide policemen for VIP security.
At present, the government spends around Rs 141.95 crore annually to secure VIPs, including ministers, judges, bureaucrats, MPs and members of constitutional bodies such as legislative assembly and legislative council and other government functionaries. Statistics show that 3,591 VIPs are provided security across the state. Seventy of them avail security despite criminal cases pending against them in respective courts.
The state police headquarters had submitted a proposal to the state government, recommending deployment of three bodyguards each to MPs, ministers, MLAs and the MLCs instead of two allotted earlier. It also proposed to provide ministers three bodyguards instead of two and 2x8 (2 ASIs and 8 constables) house guards instead of 1x4 (one ASI and four constables).
Lawmakers’ security was reviewed after BJP’s Purnea MLA Rajkishore Kesari was stabbed to death by the principal of a public school at his ancestral house on January 4, 2011. Just one bodyguard was protecting him at the time.
Officials felt it was not possible for just one policeman to shadow a VIP for 12 hours. So, it decided to let three cops with carbines do eight-hour shifts each to secure an MLA. Ministers will have a personal security officer of the rank of assistant sub-inspector or sub-inspector, apart from bodyguards, sources said.
The chief minister has been provided Z-plus security, with a separate battalion of Special Security Guards (SSG), special branch sleuths and district police personnel. All the chief minister’s bodyguards have been trained at the Central Industrial Security Force’s VIP Training Institute in Rajasthan.
The move to increase security of lawmakers has, however, raised questions over the government’s fiscal management. “In a state like Bihar, where per capita income is much below national average, the government’s decision to spend a whopping Rs 161 crore on VIP security seems unjustified,” BJP state unit functionary Rajeev Kumar Singh said.
The state has a sanctioned strength of 60,000 constables to secure over 10 crore people. The police-public ratio is much below the national average with just 74 policemen securing about one lakh people.
In addition, private individuals, apprehending a threat from anti-socials, also approach police headquarters for bodyguards. They have to pay salary fixed by government — around Rs 25,000 — to the bodyguards. Additional director general (headquarters) Ravinder Kumar said, “Whether an individual needs security or not, is decided by a district level committee, comprising DM, SP and other officials.”
Calling cops
Earlier 528 havildars and 5,475 constables used to secure VIPs
Two bodyguards each secured MPs, ministers, MLAs and MLCs
Now, police headquarters wants three bodyguards to secure them
Ministers will get 10 house guards instead of five now
Government has sanctioned creation of 29 more posts of havildars and 522 more posts of constables to meet the shortfal
