The central government on Wednesday approved a Rs25,000-crore scheme to improve internal security in India by modernizing the police.
Addressing a press conference, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, “This is the biggest ever internal security scheme in the country. The financial outlay for the scheme over the three-year period is Rs25,060 crore, out of which the central government share will be Rs18,636 crore and the states’ share will be Rs6,424 crore.”
The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the implementation of Modernisation of Police Forces for 2017-18 to 2019-20, Times of India reported.
Singh added, “The government had already increased the outlay to states as per the 14th Finance Commission recommendations, from 32% to 42%. It was earlier felt that police reforms would also be funded by states. But today, we have decided to approve the umbrella scheme over and above that.”
Special provisions for internal security, women’s security, providing modern weapons, the mobility of police forces, logistical support, the hiring of helicopters, police wireless upgrading, the national satellite network, and the crime and criminal tracking network have reportedly been maintained under this scheme.
Singh added that the scheme would help to fulfill the Modi government’s dream of establishing a “Samriddha aur Surakshit Bharat” (Prosperous and Secure India), according to Hindustan Times. He said, “It will enable the computerization of crime registration and aid investigation as well as prosecution, strengthening the criminal justice system in general.”