Centre missive to states on police funds

The Centre has asked the states to do a mid-course correction if necessary in the implementation of the Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) scheme, warning that improper utilisation of funds will lead to non-release of money in future.

The Union home ministry has written letters to the chief secretaries of all states asking them to fully utilise the funds released under the MPF scheme. The ministry has reminded the states that the finance ministry has made mandatory the “complete liquidation” of unspent balances for further release of funds to any entity, including state governments.

The states will have to provide utilisation certificates for the full amount of funds released earlier, a senior home ministry official said.

Against this backdrop, the ministry has now asked the states to “urgently review” the progress achieved so far in utilisation of funds under MPF during 2013-14 and earlier years and initiate “necessary mid-course correction” for speedy implementation of the scheme.

The states have been asked to submit utilisation certificates for 2013-14 on or before April 1 next year. In 2013-14, Rs 1,341.62 crore had been allocated with Uttar Pradesh cornering the highest amount of Rs 176.08 crore. Karnataka was allocated Rs 77.50 crore.

Between 2000-01 and 2012-13, the Centre released Rs 12,411 crore to the states of which Rs 392.76 crore remained unspent, according to the latest home ministry statistics.

Assam has topped this list with an unspent amount of Rs 76.31 crore out of the released amount Rs 605.08 crore followed by Maharashtra, which did not spend Rs 46.68 crore out of an allocation of Rs 934.68 crore. Karnataka got Rs 860.50 crore in 12 years but it could not spend Rs 18.45 crore.