Budget allocates Rs 1.6L cr to MHA; police modernisation gets priority

New Delhi, Feb 1 The government has allocated Rs 1.6 lakh crore to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) focusing mainly on police modernisation, development in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Out of the total amount allocated, Rs 1.5 lakh crore is under revenue head and Rs 15,924 crore is under capital outlay.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Rs 30,757 crore has been allocated to Jammu and Kashmir and Rs 5,958 crore for Ladakh the two newly created Union Territories.

Focusing on police modernisation, the government has allocated Rs 1.03 lakh crore under police section out of which Rs 94,086.59 crore has been allocated under revenue head and Rs 9,715.93 crore under capital outlay.

The Central Reserve Police Force, responsible for counter insurgency and internal security across the disturbed areas in India, has been allocated Rs 26,197.90 crore as against the revised budget allocation of Rs 24,788.28 crore during last year.

The elite contingency deployment force mainly responsible for anti-hijack operations, rescue operations National Security Guard has been allocated Rs 1,235.32 crore as against Rs 954.49 during the revised budget of last year.

The government has allocated Rs 20,729.54 crore for the Border Security Force, India's first line of defence against infiltration, smuggling and military assault. Last year the force was allocated Rs 19,377.83 crore during the revised budget allocation.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the country's primary border patrol organisation deployed at the borders with China, has been allocated Rs 6,567.17 crore as against Rs 6,150.15 crore during the revised budget allocation last year.

The Central Industrial Security Force, responsible for the country's internal security, has been allocated Rs 10,341.83 crore and in last year's revised budget Rs 10,676.98 crore was allocated.

The government has allocated Assam Rifles Rs 6,160.90 crore as against Rs 5,579 crore last year. Assam Rifles is tasked with the maintenance of law and order in the North East along with the Indian Army and also guards the Indo-Myanmar border.

The Sashastra Seema Bal, responsible for security at the borders with Nepal and Bhutan, has been allocated Rs 6,497.74 crore as against Rs 5,950 last year.

( With inputs from IANS )