Perimeter security of def establishments won't cost more than Rs 1,500 crore: Govt

Perimeter security of defence establishments would cost less than Rs 1,500 crore and funds for this have already been allocated, the government has told a parliamentary panel.

In a report, the Standing Committee on Defence said a representative of the Army, while deposing before it on the issue of security of defence installations, stated that the overall situation is "very disturbing" and the defence forces should get their due and more attention should be paid to them.

While the Ministry of Defence has delegated powers to the Vice Chief of the Army Staff to spend a little over Rs 14,000 crore towards security related issues, there is no separate allocation made in this regard, the panel said.

The panel also advocated creating a separate head of account for installation and hiring of security related equipment.

In its reply, the Ministry of Defence said it does not subscribe to the view that the overall situation is "very disturbing".

"The armed forces are accorded the highest possible consideration. It is not correct to say that perimeter security would cost Rs 14,000 crore. In fact, it is less than 1,500 crore. These funds have already been budgeted for and allocated. If required, additional funds would be sought at the supplementary/ revised budget stage," the ministry said.

There has been an emphasis on the perimeter security of defence establishments, especially after the Pathankot terror attack that took place in January 2016.