Assam govt sanctions Rs 150 Cr for police infrastructure as Central funds see 70% decline

Guwahati, July 26: While the State Cabinet on Wednesday approved an amount of Rs 150 crore for infrastructure development for Assam Police, the corresponding financial support from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for ‘Modernisation of Police’ has been witnessing a steep decline in recent years, for reasons best known to those at the helm of affairs.

Records show that Assam Police had received Rs 26.4 crore from MHA for three consecutive fiscal years – 2019-20 to 2021-22. However, in 2022-23, this amount was slashed by over 55 per cent to Rs 11.65 crore.

The downward trend continued in 2023-24, with only Rs 6.58 crore sanctioned, marking a total drop of more than 70 per cent compared to the size of allocation two years ago (2021-22).

In aggregate, between 2019-20 and 2023-24, Assam has received around Rs 96 crore.

Assam, along with Manipur and Mizoram, ranks among the states experiencing the most significant cuts in modernisation funding. Security experts have expressed surprise at the pattern of Centre’s funding, especially for Manipur which has been witnessing consistent bouts of law and order problems.

Surprisingly, the percentage of reduction surpasses that of states like Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, despite their improved state of affairs compared to states like Assam and Manipur. Goa remains one of the few states which have maintained a stable or increased flow of Central funds for police modernisation.

The funding squeeze has amplified concerns about Assam’s preparedness to improve core police infrastructure. The funding pattern for Assam and other northeastern states is 90:10 (Centre: State).

“Several police stations, especially in Guwahati, become paralysed following routine showers, with visuals of officers draining water from the Geetanagar and Satgaon police stations being commonplace,” a police official said.

“Barracks in many districts too are reportedly in poor condition, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage remains incomplete in several areas,” he said.

“Basic amenities continue to be inadequate – many stations lack secure transport vehicles, with some vehicles reportedly do not even have essential features like functioning doors,” a source said.

“The much-publicised ‘Moitri’ scheme, envisioned to revamp police stations, too has fallen short of expectations, and officers cite extreme heat and limited working conditions as factors affecting the morale of the police force. The Rs 150-crore fund that the State Government had approved, if utilized efficiently, should be able to resolve most of the issues,” another source said.

While retired officials confirm that states are required to submit detailed modernisation proposals to the Centre, it remains unclear whether Assam requested lower allocations or if the MHA cut down proposed amounts independently.