NEW DELHI: The number of police personnel deployed to protect VVIPs has shown an overall dip but there has been a considerable jump in the deployment of policemen for protection of VVIPs in three states — West Bengal, Punjab, and Maharashtra.
According to the latest report of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) for the year 2017, the total number of personnel deployed in protection has decreased overall across all states and Union Territories.
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In West Bengal, the number of VVIPs getting police protection till January 1, 2018, has also increased, officials said. West Bengal, in 2016, had deployed 4,233 police personnel in VVIPs protection but it was increased by more than 20 per cent and reached to 5,270 in 2017. In the same year, the number of VVIPs in the same year was also increased from 2,207 to 2,698.
Punjab has also seen a massive increase in deployment of police in giving protection to VVIPs. The report states there has been a surge of 30 per cent in the deployment of police personnel. In 2016, 5,315 police personnel were deployed in giving protection to 1,852 VIPs while, in 2017, a total of 7,324 police staff which is the highest personnel among all states were deployed to give protection to 2,344 VVIPs.
The same trend can be seen in Maharashtra. In 2016, there were only 74 VVIPs getting police protection but it rose to 252 in 2017. Maharashtra Police also increased deployment of police personnel in protection from 961 to 2,418 in 2017. Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, has significantly reduced the number of police personnel engaged in the protection of VVIPs.
Decrease in deployment