Name of the Scheme – Modernization of Police Force
Department – Police
Scheme for : Institutions
Where to Apply : NA
When to Apply : NA
Summary
“Public order’ and ‘Police’ fall under the category of subjects in the domain of the States as per Entries 1 and 2 of List I of the VII” Schedule to the Constitution of India. Thus, the principal responsibility for managing these subjects lies with the State Governments. However, the States have not been able to modernize and equip their
police forces up to the desired level due to financial constraints. It is in this context that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been supplementing the efforts and resources of the States, from time to time, by implementing the Scheme for Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF Scheme), The scheme has also been extended for Union Territories (UTs) from the FY 2022-23. The name of the sub-scheme has now been changed to “Assistance to States & UTs for Modernization of Police”.
The objective of the sub-scheme is to equip the State/UT Police Forces adequately through development of relevant infrastructure. The focus of the sub-scheme is to strengthen police infrastructure at cutting edge level by equipping the police stations with the required modern technology, weaponry, communication equipment etc. along with construction of Police Stations in all the States. Further, it includes mobility and construction of other police infrastructure including housing, but only for specific areas. The sub-scheme should not be used for routine acquisitions.
Under the scheme, central assistance will be provided to al the State/UT Governments for weapons; equipment for Information Technology, Communication, Training, etc. Construction of Police stations is also allowed to all States and UTs. However, ‘mobility’ and ‘construction of police housing and other police infrastructure’ are allowed only in Jammu & Kashmir, insurgency affected areas of North Eastern (NE) Region, i.e. States which are covered under the scheme of Security Related Expenditure(SRE)(NE) and Left Wing Extremism(LWE) affected areas, i.e. districts
covered under the scheme of SRE (LWE). Further, the items under ‘mobility’ head would be used only for strengthening field level police offices and not for State headquarter/ zonal/ Divisional/ Range level police offices. An overall outlay of Rs. 4846 crore under the Scheme has been approved for five years during the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, The annual allocation of funds for the Scheme, however, will depend upon fund utilization by States and UTs in previous financial year.
Items /Activities covered
Expenditure is permissible on the items relating to Police, subject to the scrutiny by the “High Powered Committee’ of MHA. All the State /UT Governments will be allowed the fund utilization under the scheme for weapons, equipment for Forensics, Information Technology & Communication, Training, etc, Construction of Police stations is also allowed to all States and UT s. However, ‘mobility’ and ‘construction of police housing and other police infrastructure’ as mentioned at 5(g) are only allowed in Jammu & Kashmir, insurgency affected areas of North Eastern (NE) Region, i.e. States which are covered under the scheme of Security Related Expenditure(SRE)(NE) and Left Wing Extremism(LWE) affected areas, i.e. districts covered under the scheme of SRE (LWE). Further, the items under ‘mobility’ head would be used only for strengthening field level police offices and not for State headquarter/ Range/ Zonal/ Divisional level
police offices. Moreover, items which are allowed under any other scheme/project of the Government of India shall not be allowed to be purchased under this scheme.
10% of size of the Action Plan of a State/UT shall be mandatorily planned for development of capacity building of police personnel and improvement in Police-Public Interface. This may include Imparting training on Yoga, meditation, psychological counselling in stress management, community service. The list is only illustrative and other activities which lead to better response to grievances handling and improvement in police accountability shall also be implemented. Illustrative Ideas in this regard would be as below:
- Purchase of body-worn cameras for police personnel.
- Establishment of cell for monitoring police-public interface by watching feeds of CCTV (in police stations and police posts) and body worn cameras.
- Additional training components with capacity building plan for effective ‘community policing’ & ‘Timely completion of Antecedents/character verification process for Public’.
3(c). States / UTs may have a theme of one component (i.e. Equipment for ‘Cyber policing’, communication equipment, advanced weaponry, etc.) for modernization in each year, so that after completion of that component, inference can be drawn that the State/UT bas achieved the minimum required standard for a particular component and there will not be any major requirement in that component in the succeeding years. of criteria evolved by a committee
(The list given below only indicates the broad areas and the State/UT Governments may prepare projects keeping in mind their actual requirements. The items to be funded under the sub-scheme are listed below in 5(f) and 5(g):
5(H) Items other than Construction:
- Weapons.
- Training aids/equipment required for imparting training to police personnel.
- All equipment required for Police organizations including communication equipment, surveillance equipment, traffic control equipment, software, equipment related to SMART policing. For the purposes of this sub-scheme, special purpose vehicles such as Tractor, Vajra, Prison Van, Water Tanker, shall be treated as equipment and HPC will consider permission to such equipment as proposed by the States/UT s.
- Equipment related to Cyber-forensics,
- Communication and other related equipment
- Various Security Equipment/items such as protection gear for women police
- Mobility (only for specific areas): Procurement of vehicles only where operationally required. The types of vehicles will be heavy, medium, light and motorcycles. Further, the items under ‘mobility’ head would be used only for strengthening field level police offices.
5(g) Construction works:
- Construction of police station buildings.
- Creating toilet facilities for women staff in each police station. This item is allowed to all States and UT s.
- Construction of police infrastructure, i.e., police outposts, police lines,etc. Construction of police training institutions and cyber forensic labs.
- Police Housing: Housing for lower subordinates (Constables & Head Constables) and upper subordinates (ASI, SI and Inspectors).
Source: