States to get advance funds for security

In a move likely to have an impact on the country's internal security scenario, the Union Home Ministry on Thursday decided to provide the Security Related Expenditure to the states in advance. This, Home Ministry sources said, would be a shot in the arm for state governments as it would help them to further strengthen and modernise the police force.

In a move likely to have an impact on the country's internal security scenario, the Union Home Ministry on Thursday decided to provide the Security Related Expenditure to the states in advance. This, Home Ministry sources said, would be a shot in the arm for state governments as it would help them to further strengthen and modernise the police force.

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Till now the Centre used to reimburse the amount after the expense had been incurred by the state government. Thus, police functioning in many states had been hampered on account of paucity of funds.

"At a time when the cash reserve of some states is so low that they cannot even pay wages to their employees, one should not expect them to spend money on modernisation of the police," said a senior ministry official. "So the police strength remained inadequate and there were no funds for modernisation of weapons, vehicles and communication equipment."

The Home Ministry decision will now have to be ratified by the Cabinet for which the ministry is already in the process of formulating a detailed note. The advance payment by the Centre, sources added, would help the states have adequate funds to spend on the police. Ministry officials claimed this would help improve the internal security and even the law and order situation.

Sources said initially the money would be released in installments to state governments. The move will in particular be of help to states affected by militancy and Naxal violence. Ministry officials claimed that in the past few months some state governments had expressed inability to spend on the police due to lack of funds.

The Home Ministry has also decided to set up a special institute to train paramilitary forces in guerrilla warfare. "The army has one such institute in Manipur but there is no training facility for paramilitary forces or state police," said an official. "In view of the increasing use of guerrilla tactics by insurgent groups there is need to train paramilitary forces in these tactics too."