Despite the fact that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved a five-year extension of the police modernization scheme, an RTI request found that many states had failed to reach the fund’s ‘utilisation target.’
With a financial outlay of Rs 26,275 crore, the MHA has extended the scheme through 2025-26. Many state police units have already been proven to be lacking in basic infrastructure, including weapons, forensic laboratories, communication devices, and vehicles.
K Govindan Nampoothiry, a Kerala-based RTI campaigner, received an RTI document that shows the funds released and their use under the home ministry’s ambitious ‘Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police’ scheme.
According to the MHA’s RTI reply dated January 12, Jammu & Kashmir has not been completely utilising funding since 2016-17. Punjab, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, recorded large unspent balances in 2018-19. As a result, the home ministry’s fund release in 2020-21 and 2021-22 has been sharply reduced.
Post Your Comments