Cut in spending on VVIP security; MHA allocation at Rs 1.06 lakh cr

The allocation for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) crossed the Rs one lakh crore mark in the budget, with major outlay for central security forces and agencies.

However, a small cut has been effected in spending on the Special Protection Group (SPG), which guards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PMs, Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. The SPG will get Rs 385 crore, down from Rs 389.25 crore.

The MHA will get Rs 1.06 lakh crore in the next fiscal, a 9.45% increase from previous allocation of Rs 97,187.17 crore. In 2016-17, the allocation was Rs 77,383.92 crore.

The budget document showed that there was an increase in the funds for modernisation of police forces and spending on security related expenses and infrastructure development in naxal-affected states as well as for border infrastructure and management.

For the paramilitary forces, the allocation has risen to Rs 62,741.31 crore in the next fiscal as against 54,985.11 crore in 2017-18. However, in the current fiscal, the actual spending is pegged at Rs 58,148.80 crore.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) have been allocated the highest owing to their operational expanse.

The CRPF, which leads the anti-naxal operations and anti-militant operations in Jammu and Kashmir, has got the highest outlay of Rs 20,268.03 crore, up from Rs 17,868.53 crore. The BSF, which guards the sensitive Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangla borders, gets Rs 17,118.64 crore, up from Rs 15,569.11 crore.

The Intelligence Bureau will also get an increase in allocation from Rs 1,577.07 crore to Rs 1,876.44 crore.

For modernisation of police forces, a total of Rs 2,260 crore has been allocated, up from Rs 2,022 crore.