News
Police charging fee for security at private events
View(s):- Directive comes from Police Chief; BMICH asked to pay Rs. 3.2 million a month
By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Police Department has begun levying charges for providing security for commercial events, following a directive from the Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasooriya.
Police spokesman Minura Senarath told the Sunday Times that, in view of the costs incurred by the Department, the money would be used to cover overtime and batta payments for officers deployed at commercial events.
He said previously a circular had been issued by the Department, and now the IGP himself had instructed to collect the charges in keeping with the directive.
He said, however, for events which are free for the public, the police would continue to provide security free of charge.
In one of the first moves, the police sought a monthly payment from the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH). The BMICH, a popular venue for public and private events, has been requested to pay Rs 3.2 million on a monthly basis. This is in view of 262 police personnel on duty at the venue on a daily basis.
The venue also hosts a permanent police station, which was established in 2003 to provide security for public and private events attended by VVIPs, foreign dignitaries, diplomats and others.
Police services provided to the recently concluded book exhibition had been abruptly withdrawn, as neither the BMICH management nor event organisers had made the payment. As a result, the major part of the book exhibition was conducted without police security despite VVIPs being among some 1.5 million who attended the event.
The Sunday Times learns that the issue is expected to be discussed at the BMICH management level.
Meanwhile, a pro-government trade union—the Inter Company Employees Union—wrote to Cultural Affairs Minister Hiniduma Sunil Senevi on Thursday calling for a probe into why a police security contingent of 56 personnel led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police was withdrawn abruptly.
The union said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and several ministers visited the book exhibition, and there were doubts whether the security withdrawal was a conspiracy.
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