NEW DELHI: The elite Special Protection Group (SPG) has got a substantial hike in allocation in the budget and will spend the most ever on capital expenditure in the coming financial year to shore up the security paraphernalia of its only protectee — Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The allocation of Rs. 592 crore to the SPG in 2020-21 is an almost 11% hike over last year and is almost the double of the revised allocation of Rs. 289 crore in 2014-15. What is significant is that out of the allocation this year, Rs. 145 crore has been devoted to capital expenditure, which is for the acquisition of modern security equipment and infrastructure for the PM’s security.
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This is a big jump given that the SPG had been allocated just Rs. 41 crore for capital expenditure in 2018-19.
Last year, the SPG cover of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and former PM Manmohan Singh was withdrawn by the Centre and the SPG Act was amended to extend the cover only to the serving PM. Another SPG protectee, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, passed away in 2018.
A government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told ET that SPG has plans to procure ultra-modern security equipment, better vehicles, and latest arms and ammunition. “The capital expense on the same has been in works since 2019,” the official said.
Source: Economic Times
