Haryana seeks Central grant for modernising police

Expressing dissatisfaction with the meagre annual grant of Rs 71.71 lakh being provided by the Union government, it has said the state was not allocated any additional funds for modernisation and police housing by the 10th Finance Commission on the ground that Haryana was a revenue surplus state. "The decision not to grant funds to performing states is highly unjustified. If we are doing well, why should we be made to suffer for it," according to senior police officials.

The state government has said the Centre could allocate funds in a phased manner, starting with a grant of Rs 25 crore during the current financial year. It has highlighted the vast disparity in the policing level in Delhi and in the adjoining areas of Haryana, saying that the crime pattern of these areas is quite simila. "If the national capital region is to be made safe and large scale migration to Delhi is to be avoided, the policing levels of Delhi and the state have to be brought at par with each other," it has pointed out.

The financial assistance has been sought for purchase of modern equipments such as binocular microscope with CCTV camera, water cannons, vajra for crowd control and ion scan and explosive detectors for use in detection and prevention of crime, upgradation of training facilities, setting up of bomb detection/disposal squads, improvement of housing facilities and strengthening of communication network.

The government has highlighted the problem of housing, saying the non-availability of housing facilities was not only telling upon the morale of policemen, but was also resulting in large-scale and frequent absenteeism. When asked, Director General of Haryana Police S.K. Sethi said the government had urged the Centre to allocate funds for modernisation and police housing. He said the housing satisfaction level for lower ranks officers was only 10 per cent as against the national average of 40 per cent.

Earlier, Chief Minister Bansi Lal had made a written request to the then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda In March 1997, seeking compensation for an additional amount of Rs 650 crore spent by the state from 1984-85 to 1996-97 to fight terrorism. "The state had to bear the brunt of terrorism for years owing to terrorist activities but it had not got any compensation by way of special assistance," the Chief Minister pointed out. However, the request did not elicit any response.