After sending a whopping bill to the state government for guarding Ajmal Kasab, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has not billed the state government this year.
Kasab, the sole terrorist captured for carrying out the 26/11 attacks three years ago, is in Arthur Road jail.
Last year, the ITBP had sought a payment of Rs10.87 crore for the period March 28, 2009, when they took over Kasab’s security, till September 30, 2010.
The state government had protested and sought exemption from making the payment, saying the attacks in Mumbai were not just an attack on the city, but on the country.
“While the Centre has to agree to our request (to not pay the Rs10.87 crore), so far, the ITBP has not raised any bill for payment for the year 2011,” said Medha Gadgil, principle secretary, home department.
The ITBP bill works out a little over Rs5 crore for every nine months. So, at the same rate, from October 1, 2010, to November 26, 2011, the estimate would be another Rs8 croreshould the ITBP decide to send another bill. This means the total outstanding to the ITBP, if billed, would be around Rs13 crore.
The fact that the ITBP has not billed the state for this year has made the state hopeful that perhaps the Centre might take care of the ITBP’s expenses.
The ITBP is one of India’s elite paramilitary forces and is usually deployed on the India-China border. As a paramilitary unit, it comes under the Union home ministry, though during war, it is under the defence ministry. The ITBP provides guards in immediate proximity to Kasab. The state police guard the outer areas and the jail premises.
Gadgil said some recent reports about the amount being spent on Kasab were exaggerated.
The state did spend Rs5.25 crore on building a special bomb-proof cell for Kasab inside the Arthur Road jail.
“But that is a one-time capital cost. The recurring cost is his security, both by ITBP and the enhanced police security to the jail, his food and medicines and the court cases, which includes the fees for special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam,” she said.
Kasab’s food bill from the start of his incarceration till June 30, 2011, is Rs 27,520 and his medicines (he was injured during capture) is Rs26,954.
His food cost is Rs27 per day. The state has spent Rs80,000 to Rs1 lakh on videoconferencing, incurred after the state decided against transporting Kasab to jail for his hearing, given the security concerns.The video conferencing cost is about Rs40,000 per month and his trial went on for two months. She said his security would be around Rs25 crore.
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