Maharashtra spends 38.78 crore on VIP security every year

Nagpur, Dec.17 (UNI) The of Maharashtra government spends Rs 38.78 crore every year on providing security cover to VVIPs, VIPs and other people, the Estimates Committee of the state legislature has said in a report.

In its seventh report, presented to the Maharashtra Legislature during the Winter Session that concluded here last week, the committee, headed by Vallabh Benke, said that the government spent Rs 27.72 crore every year on protecting people under the Z-plus, Z, Y or X categories of security. There were 115 such people in the state, including seven in the Z-plus, 39 in Z, 32 in Y and 44 in X category, the committee said. Of the 115, 88 were in Mumbai alone, including seven in Z-plus, 23 in Z, and 28 each in Y and X categories, the report said.

A total of 2,002 officers and men were assigned to VVIP and VIP security duty, including 1,772 in Mumbai, it said. The annual expenditure of Rs 27.72 crore included Rs 25.01 crore for Mumbai and Rs 2.70 crore for the rest of the state, it added.

In addition, the government spends Rs 11.06 crore every year on providing security to 452 other people (not included under any category), the committee said. The amount included Rs 2.59 crore to provide security to 137 people in Mumbai and Rs 8.46 crore to provide security to 315 people in the rest of the state, it said.

A total of 1,133 officers and men were assigned to the task, including 262 in Mumbai and 871 in the rest of Maharashtra, the committee added.

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