MHA gets marginal hike in budget allocation

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been allocated Rs 1.19 lakh crore, a marginal increase of Rs 5,858 crore from the previous year's expenditure, with police, paramilitary and infrastructure programmes garnering the bulk.

The rise is 5.17% over the revised estimate of 2018-19 amounting to Rs 1,13,167 crore, according to the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The MHA budget estimate for 2019-20 also includes Rs 15,098 crore allocation for Union Territories.

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The large portion of the allocation, as usual, in the interim budget is going to the paramilitary, border security and intelligence agencies among others with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocating Rs 98,202.23 crore as against 2018-19 allocation of Rs 87,886.50 crore and revised estimates of Rs 92,498.12 lakh.

The paramilitary forces, including CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, Assam Rifles and National Security Guard, alone has been allocated Rs 71,713.9 crore, up from Rs 67,779.75 crore in 2018-19.

The CRPF has been allocated Rs 23,963.66 crore for 2019-20, compared to Rs 22,646.63 crore in 2018-19. The BSF, which guards the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders, has been allocated Rs 19,650.74 crore for the next fiscal, compared to Rs 18,585.96 crore in 2018-19.

There was also an increase in the funds for modernisation of police forces and spending on security-related expenses and infrastructure development in Maoist-affected states as well as for border infrastructure and management, the budget document showed.

In a bid to tackle cybercrime, Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. Last fiscal, Rs six crore has been spent.

The Intelligence Bureau, which is responsible for gathering internal intelligence, has been allocated Rs 2,384.1 crore, as against Rs 1876.44 crore (estimates) and Rs 2,056.05 crore (actual expenditure) in the last fiscal.

Nirmala has also allocated Rs 4,757 crore for development of police infrastructure, including constructions of barracks, residential quarters, purchase of vehicles, arms and ammunition.

Allocation of Rs 3,462 crore for modernisation of police forces, Rs 825 crore for border area development programme, Rs 842 crore for relief and rehabilitation for migrants and repatriates in Jammu and Kashmir and Rs 953 crore for freedom fighters pensions have also been made.