By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Central government on Sunday announced approval of an umbrella scheme for modernisation and improvement of police forces in states and Union Territories for five more years up to 2025-26, with a financial outlay of Rs 26,275 crore.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the scheme includes security-related expenditure in Jammu and Kashmir, northeastern states and Maoists-affected areas, for raising new battalions, developing high-tech forensic laboratories and other investigation tools.
In an official statement, the MHA said, “The government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of the umbrella scheme of Modernisation of Police Forces. The approval for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 moves forward the initiative of Home Minister Amit Shah to modernise and improve the functioning of police forces.”
This scheme comprises all relevant sub-schemes that contribute to the modernisation and improvement. Also, provision has been made under the scheme for internal security, law and order and adoption of modern technology by police.
A sum of Rs 50 crore will be used for narcotics control. Funds will be used for strengthening the criminal justice system by developing a robust forensic set-up, MHA said. A central outlay of Rs 18,839 crore has been earmarked for security-related expenditure in J&K, insurgency affected Northeast and LWE areas.
As per MHA, Rs 4,846 crore will be given for the modernisation of police forces. It stated that Rs 2,080.50 crore will be given to develop operationally independent high-quality forensic sciences facilities for aiding scientific and timely probe.
The MHA said that since the implementation of the ‘National Policy and Action Plan’ for combating Maoists, Left extremism incidents have come down drastically.
To pursue this accomplishment, six Left extremism related schemes with a Central outlay of Rs 8,689 crore has been approved.
These schemes include Special Central Assistance to affected districts and districts of concern to consolidate the gains.
For the raising of India Reserve Battalions or Specialised India Reserve Battalions, a central outlay of Rs 350 crore was approved.
