india

Updated: Jul 05, 2019 23:42 IST

The Union government has allocated Rs 7,892.86 crore to Delhi Police in its budget estimates for fiscal 2019-20 —Rs 465.88 crore more than last fiscal – for procuring the latest communication network, intelligence traffic management system, implementation of Safe City Project and capacity building for the force. The 80,000-strong police force reports to Union home ministry.

Delhi Police’s budget allocation for 2019-20 is nearlyRs 3,200 crore more than what it was in 2014-15 (Rs 4653.19 crore).

According to documents available with the Delhi Police (accessed by HT), there has been an increase ofRs 581.70 crore (fromRs 6,887.29 in 2018-19 toRs 7,468.99 in 2019-20) in their total budget allocation in revenue and capital section (planned and non-plan expenditure). But the city police will get lesser money for sprucing up their infrastructure, such as building new police stations, offices and residential buildings, and implementing schemes under public private partnership .

The allocation under infrastructure category this year isRs 107.16 crore less than what it was allotted in the 2018-19 budget. The police had received Rs 519.94 crore for infrastructure last year. This year, it has come down toRs 412.78 crore.

Police data show that till date, less than 20% personnel have been allotted government flats and out of more than 200 police stations in the city, around 100 still were operating from rented buildings or spaces provided by other agencies like Indian Railways and DMRC.

Besides the infrastructure category, the budget allocation for women safety (under Nirbhaya Fund) has also been decreased byRs 8.66 crore for the next fiscal year. While the Centre had allocatedRs 19.75 crore under this category last year, the city police have gotRs 11.09 crore for 2019-20.

A senior police officer posted in the special police unit for women and children said that money allocated under Nirbhaya Fund will be used in the ongoing construction of a new building for this department, a proposal that was approved in 2016-17 by the ministry of women and child development. The Nirbhaya fund will also be used for launching several women safety schemes.

“The other expenses under this category include office expenditures, advertisement and publicity, launch and upgradation of women safety mobile applications such as Himmat Plus, machinery, equipment among others,” said the officer.

RA Sanjeev, additional commissioner of police (general administration), said, “The revenue section includes salary of police personnel, purchasing of arms, ammunition, motor vehicles and cost of ration, clothing and travel expenditure as well. The budget will be used in upgrading road safety infrastructure, traffic and communication network and introducing latest technologies.”