Home Minister Rajnath Singh for doubling police modernisation budget

In order to better equip police and paramilitary forces in the country, the Union Home Ministry has decided to seek doubling of the budgetary allocation for their modernisation.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday met officials to discuss issues "which need to be addressed on priority" vis-a-vis central paramilitary and other police forces.

During the meeting, a ministry statement said, Singh directed his officials to prepare a proposal for doubling of the Rs 1,500 crore budget granted for police modernisation during the current financial year.

Singh, who also reviewed various other issues pertaining to security forces, directed his officials to ensure that the best quality training and equipment are provided to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) like CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and the police personnel.

The Home Minister also directed the officials to pursue the proposal of raising 35 additional Indian Reserve Battalions (IRBs) to help and aid state governments in fighting the menace of Left Wing Extremism and insurgency, especially in North-Eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir.

The IRBs are raised on a pattern similar to the central paramilitary forces. The Minister also reviewed the raising plan along with the vacancy position. 

He emphasised that steps should be taken for time-bound raising and recruitment of these forces, the statement said. "Some of the core challenges and issues like housing, enhancement of allowances for CAPFs especially in the LWE affected areas, rotational training in CAPFs because of the over stretching of the forces were also highlighted and discussed in the meeting," the statement said.