Centre’s Rs 25K cr-police modernisation scheme includes ‘perception management’
The central budget outlay of Rs 10,132 crore under the scheme has been earmarked for Jammu and Kashmir, northeastern states and Maoist-infested regions.
india Updated: Sep 30, 2017 09:31 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Developing infrastructure in areas effected by left wing violence, providing relief to Jammu and Kashmir migrants, “countering false propaganda” and “perception management” in Kashmir are some of the components of the Centre’s Rs 25,000 crore umbrella scheme to modernise Central and state police forces.
On Wednesday the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the implementation of Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF) umbrella scheme. The Centre will bear 80 per cent share of the funds – to be spent over the next three years – while states will bear the rest.
Of the sanctioned amount, Rs 45 crore will be used for perception management in Kashmir, a civic action plan for Central Armed police forces, which included CRPF and BSF, and other social services, according to official documents.
Apart from that, Rs 3,000 crore will be utilised for public infrastructure and service such as school building, anganwadi centers, primary health centres, drinking water, roads and furniture in schools in 35 districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) across India.
The scheme also earmarks Rs 1900 crore to be spent on relief and rehabilitation of Jammu and Kashmir migrants and an equal amount for Kashmir police covering areas of carriage of constabulary, logistic support for security forces, honorarium of Special Police Officer’s (SPO), India Reserve Battalion and a “civic action plan” for the state’s police.
The government will spend Rs 22.5 crore to disseminate information about various development/welfare schemes and to counter false propaganda of the LWE cadres. Another Rs 60 crore will be spent on civic action plans of CAPFs deployed in LWE affected areas.
The other two major components of the umbrella scheme include Rs 628 crore for 250 fortified police stations in LWE affected areas and Rs 1215 crore for North East states. The government has also earmarked funds for gratuitous relief to victims of militancy and raising of India Reserve Battalions.
The massive spending on security and police forces comes two years after the states’ share of revenue went up to 42 % following the implementation of the 14th finance commission. As a result of this, the task of police modernisation had been left largely to the states. However, Union minister Rajnath Singh in a statement on the MPF said that the scheme will help in realising the dream of ‘Samriddha Aur Surakshit Bharat’.
