Bhubaneswar: Is the Aam Admi in Odisha unprotected and vulnerable? The numbers bare it all.
The latest data released by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) suggests that when for every 1,388 men on the streets of Odisha there was only one policeman in 2018, the number slipped further to one cop guarding a high of 1, 724 common men in 2020.
A comparative analysis of the population-policemen ratio revealed another shocker. In 2018, Odisha had 72 civil cops per lakh population. The number had deteriorated further to 58 in 2019, finds the BPRD data. This shows the proportionate size of the police force in Odisha has not been growing in tandem with the population growth in the State.
However, it’s altogether a different matter that in the police-VIP ratio Odisha figured along with a group of hilly and north-eastern States, all of which had a very lean protected list(of VIPs) in the country.The BPRD data shows a total of 36 VIPs, including ministers, MPs, MLAs and bureaucrats, who were given police protection in Odisha in the year 2019.
When contacted to Minister of State (Home) Divya Shankar Mishra, He said, “I have not seen the detailed report. I am in a remote area in my constituency. As soon as I reach Capital, I will give all the relevant details.”
Are the BPRD numbers an understatement? A detailed analysis only unravels the truth.
Who Figures In Privilege List?
As per the Odisha home department rules, security is provided to VIPs after a proper security audit by the department.
“The VIP protection in Odisha is looked after by the special branch of the Odisha Police. The State government has a designated wing to take care of the security of VIPs. Based on the inputs of Director Intelligence, a security audit is carried out to select the protected list,” explained a senior official in the State Home department. He further added that X2 level of security has been provided to the protected list in the State.
Highly placed sources in the State Home department informed that the security audit or security review commission in the State had last met in 2010. And as per the 2010 review, a total of 36 dignitaries in the State were provided with X2 level of security. Under the X2 security, a PSO (personal security officer) is provided on round the clock basis to a dignitary.
What The Blue Book Says?
As per the norm, the State Intelligence provides security to important dignitaries having threat perception after a proper assessment as mandated by the Blue Book. A glance at the blue book shows that all the State ministers, MPs/MLAs, MLCs, and even Collectors are to be provided with X category security, where two gunmen have to be provided round the clock.
“State ministers, MPs, and MLAs cannot be brought under X2 level security,” the Blue Book codifies. Therefore, going by the Blue book, the number of protected list in Odisha cannot be mere 36.
RTI activist Pradip Pradhan said, “After the kidnapping of the then Laxmipur MLA Jhina Hikaka in 2012, and following the strong demand made by MLAsin OdishaAssembly, the State government had started providing one PSO to all the 147 MLAs in the State. And Ministers get two PSOs as per the rule.”
Besides, he informed that an RTI application has been filed before the State Information Commission (SIC), which seeks details about the private security agency that provided security at the house of senior government officials.
Real Count
It seems by all account the number of 36 protected list in Odisha is an understatement. Since 147 MLAs and 21 MPs were to be provided security as per the Blue Book, the BPRD data that shows only 36 are employed in VIP protection in Odisha does not reflect the real ground scenario.
Odisha’s Special 100
Highly placed sources in Special Branch disclosed that Odisha has 100 trained personnel who provide round the clock security to VIPs in the State. The special wing is headed by an SP rank officer who is directly under the Director, Intelligence, Odisha Police.
The Supreme Order
Significantly, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi in 2013 had observed that “Security can be given only to the head of state, the Prime Minister, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice of India, the heads of Constitutional authority and similar counterparts in the states.” But why all and sundry is given security, the bench questioned.
The bench had further said that even judges would have no objection if the security provided to them is withdrawn and redeployed on the streets to curb crime against women. Besides, the bench had also expressed dissatisfaction overextension of security cover to MPs and MLAs without proper security audit.
VIP Bloopers In Odisha
As per a CAG report 2017, a helicopter meant for anti-Naxalite operations was grossly misused by Ministers and VIPs in Odisha. The CAG report then pointed out that the helicopter hired by the State government for anti-Maoist operations had flown Ministers and officials in 84 per cent of its total sorties.