WSN Service
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister VP Singh finds it difficult to dispense with the big and cumbersome security system he inherited from Rajiv Gandhi.
Nearly 600 men are specially trained and deployed for the PM’s security in Delhi.
These are controlled by two I.G.’s and six D.I.G.’s and 20 SPs. Billions of rupees have been spent ‘on this set up, among the most elaborate in the world, Salaries alone are Rs 40 lakh a month. The security set-up has sophisticated equipment worth Rs 200 corer. The personnel of the Special Protection Group also enjoy special privileges like admission of their children to good public schools.
Returning from Amritsar where he traveled in an open the PM along with home minister Sayed expressed a desire to do away with this huge and undue expense,
Previously according to a Delhi magazine threats to the PM started pouring in during the kidnaping of the home minister’s daughter last month. Further on Jan 7 a small bomb went off outside Parliament House.
Central Minister Arif Mohammad Khan is on record saying that Rajiv Gandhi was using the SPG men to spy on VP Singh and his cabinet.
The PM feels none too happy to repeal the National Security Guards Act which governs his personal security staff, As soon as any such wish is expressed by VP Singh “a danger to his security arises,” according to the newspaper. Most of the SPG were deployed to protect Gandhi even after his defeat at the hustings leaving untrained men for VP Singh. Rajiv Gandhi ensured the SPG men’s allegiance in many ways. One was to promote 1,000 Intelligence Bureau men a few days before he laid down office.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 19, 1990
