MHA eyeing bigger allocation in next budget

NEW DELHI, Jan 8: With the security scenario being critical, the Home Ministry is eyeing a bigger financial allocation in the next budget to cater to modernisation of the police forces and other measures like a group insurance scheme for the personnel of central paramilitary forces.

As the Bugetary exercise is underway, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asked all divisions under his Ministry to suggest innovative schemes for their possible incorporation in the next budget besides directing them to utilise all the allocated funds by this month-end itself.

Sources said the Home Ministry will seek bigger financial allocation for it in the next budget for modernisation of police, installations of CCTV cameras in all vital places in urban centres and special initiative for the security of women.

Singh directed the Union Home Secretary to discuss with state Governments the implementation of the scheme related to the modernisation of police forces and ensure that all funds are spent within the stipulated time.

The Home Ministry is also pitching for group insurance scheme for the personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces like CRPF and BSF and quota for their children in Kendriya Vidalaya and would require additional funds for the same.

The last budget (of June last year) had earmarked Rs 65745 crore to the Home Ministry.

In a communication, Singh also told the heads of 20 divisions under the Ministry not to wait till the last moment — March-end — when the current fiscal comes to an end but utilise the allocated funds within January.

He told senior officials to monitor the progress of the works in next two months for their proper execution, official sources said.

Singh also said that the divisions should come up with innovative schemes so that Finance Ministry could be approached for help or they could be incorpored in the General Budget for the next fiscal. (PTI)