Delhi Police gets more to make capital safer
Nearly Rs 164 crore earmarked for housing for personnel,upgradation of tech surveillance gets Rs 2 crore fillip.
Nearly Rs 164 crore earmarked for housing for personnel,upgradation of tech surveillance gets Rs 2 crore fillip.
After demands to step up police training centres,improve infrastructure and enhance security of women in the capital,the Finance Ministry has allocated over Rs 4,455 crore to Delhi Police— an increase of Rs 587.88 crore from the previous fiscal — in the Union Budget on Thursday.
Delhi Police was allocated Rs 34.46 crore in plan head while Rs 4,033.53 crore was earmarked for non-plan expenditure.
For upgradation of training police personnel,Rs 1 crore has been allocated to the force. For induction of latest technology and installation of traffic signals,another Rs 2 crore and Rs 4 crore have been allocated,respectively.
Budget allocation for construction of residences for police personnel saw a substantial jump of 164 per cent from the last fiscal. This year,Rs 163.90 crore has been earmarked for providing housing to policemen as compared to last year’s Rs 62 crore.
However,revised budget figures for 2012-2013 fiscal had showed that only Rs 25.40 crore was finally allotted. Less than 20 per cent of the 83,000-strong Delhi Police force has been provided with housing as of now.
Speaking to Newsline,Joint Commissioner of Police (General Administration) Deependera Pathak said,“More funds naturally mean more housing. We wil be able to complete the projects faster and in a better manner now.”
Similarly,for construction of buildings for official purposes,Rs 223.32 crore has been allocated — an increase from last year’s allocation of Rs 198.50 crore.
Budgetary provisions for developing traffic and communication network and a model traffic system have been slashed to Rs 11.71 crore. The cut is expected to delay many important projects queued up for the present year. Last year,Rs 20 crore was allocated for the same.
According to traffic police sources,many important surveillance projects including the much-awaited intelligent traffic system (ITS),signal system and interceptors are expected to be put on hold,given the paucity of funds.
Sources confirmed that the slash would also force the unit to drop some of the projects lined up for the year. Police,however,refused to comment on the matter saying that a proper analysis of the budget allocation is yet to be done.
The Delhi Police,which had received flak for its poor response to the December 16 gangrape incident,had told higher authorities that lack of adequate staff,vehicles to patrol the streets and absence of a comprehensive CCTV system were affecting policing in the capital.
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