Governance
Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019
- 04 Dec 2019
- 2 min read
Why in News
Recently, the Parliament has passed the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The SPG Bill will amend the SPG Act of 1988.
- The proposed amendments in the Special Protection Group (SPG) Bill aims to reduce the financial burden of VIP security on the state exchequer.
- The reduction of SPG coverage will also help to eliminate the notion of a status symbol attached to it.
Special Protection Group
- The SPG was raised in 1985 to provide security cover to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members.
- The SPG comprises of the personnel from the CRPF, Border Security Force and other Central and State forces.
Amendments
- Reduced SPG Coverage:
- The protection to be offered only to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members that will reside with him at his official residence.
- Currently, the security cover is provided to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members.
- Time period:
- The security will be provided only for a period of five years to the former Prime Ministers and their immediate family after they leave the office.
- However, the immediate family members need to be residing with the former Prime Minister at the allotted residence.
- Withdrawal:
- When the proximate security is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister such proximate security will also stand withdrawn from members of his immediate family.
