NEW DELHI, November 7: The Union home ministry has decided to cut down the security cover for VIPs by one-fourth. The decision has to be cleared by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).If clearance is granted, nearly 1,000 of the 5,000-odd personnel deployed to protect VIPs will be relieved. Moreover, the Centre will save about Rs 15 crore annually on VIP security.``Pruning security on such a large scale has been done for the first time. Of the 500-odd protected persons, the security of at least 150 has been drastically downgraded by the Protection Review Group,'' said a senior Home Ministry official.Soon, there will be fewer gun-toting men accompanying former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan, former union ministers Rajesh Pilot and Matang Singh among others, according to sources in the ministry. The security cover for former governors, chief ministers and VIPs visiting the capital has also been reduced.According to sources, there were heated debates during meetings of the Protection Review Group regarding threat perception reports given by intelligence and security agencies. Reduction of security for former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was also discussed during one of the meetings of the Group but the idea was shelved.
