Maha govt lays down stringent norms for police protection

The Maharashtra government today laid down stringent guidelines for availing police protection by private citizens.
A Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Home department today stated that any private person provided with police protection, armed or plain or with escort, would have to pay for it.
The GR further added that such persons would also have to give a bank guarantee equalling three months of protection fee as well as provide details of his properties.
The GR stated that the protection fee so charged shall be calculated taking into account the income of the person and details of his other properties, as well as the average pay, pay scale, travelling, house rent allowance and dearness allowance of the deputed police personnel.

It added that police personnel for protection duty would be drawn from the police headquarters and not from any particular police station.
The GR however mentioned that protection fee would not be charged from people whose monthly income is below Rs 50,000 as per the Income Tax returns of the person.

It stated that the decision to grant protection to people filing for such protection would be taken by the Commissioner or Superintendent of Police based on the circumstances surrounding such a request.
The GR empowered the Commissioner and Superintendent of Police to review the threat perception of a person enjoying police protection every three months while a committee headed by the Director-General of Police would review decisions taken by the Commissioner and SP every six months.

It also gave power to the police to withdraw protection if the person misused it or prevented his police escort to accompany him or her to a particular place or event.
The GR went on to add that a person was neither entitled to police protection as a matter of right nor can it be granted as a matter of course.
"It is neither a commodity that can be purchased nor it is a service which can be availed by payment of service charges," the GR stated.
The GR follows the Bombay High Court directing the state government to revisit its January 2000 guidelines on providing police protection to private citizens facing a threat to their lives.

A senior Home department official said that unpaid dues for police protection has been in the range of Rs 10 crore and a bank guarantee would help solve this problem.
He refused to divulge details of the fees charged and number of prominent VVIPs enjoying police protection.