Police modernisation funds remain under-utilised in many states, reveals RTI
India Today
An RTI inquiry has revealed huge unspent balances in the police modernisation fund allocated to several states in the last five years, prompting the home ministry to slash fund release.
While the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the extension of police modernisation scheme for five years, an RTI query revealed that many states have failed to meet the fund’s ‘utilisation target”.
The MHA has extended the scheme till 2025-26 with a financial outlay of Rs 26,275 crore. Previously, it was revealed that many state police forces lack basic infrastructure facilities, from weapons to forensic laboratories, communication devices and vehicles.
An RTI document obtained by Kerala-based RTI campaigner K Govindan Nampoothiry gives the exact picture on funds released and their utilisation under the 'Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police' scheme, an ambitious project of the home ministry.
The RTI reply dated January 12 from the MHA shows that Jammu and Kashmir has not been utilising funds fully since 2016-17 onwards. On the other hand, Punjab, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh reported huge unspent balance since 2018-19. As a result, the home ministry sharply reduced fund release in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
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The key data during 2014-15 to 31st December 2021 is as follows:
496.22
