Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's stint as home minister for a little above three years found a distinct resonance in Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) budget, which virtually got a bonanza despite fiscal and financial constraints.
While the total budget allocation of MHA secured an increase of 12%. It was raised by Rs5,632 crore from Rs46,632 crore in FY 2012-13 to Rs52,264 in 2013-14. Police modernisation and Naxal management have got the maximum increase.
In his former avatar as Union home minister too, Chidambaram had put an extra emphasis on these two areas.
"It is a great budget. We have got almost all what we had asked for," said a senior official.
The police modernisation, aimed to equip the police force with latest technology and weaponry, got a whopping 105% jump from Rs900 crore in 2012-13 to Rs1,847 crore in 2013-14. In various budgetary heads dealing with Naxal problem the ministry secured about 13% increase — raised from Rs944 crore to Rs1,063 crore.
The allocation for all central armed police forces and other departments including Intelligence Bureau, Special Protection Group (SPG), NIA and schemes like Natgrid and Inter state police wireless, have also witnessed an increase of 15.5% — up Rs4,874 from Rs31,415 crore to Rs36,289 crore.
