Over Rs 4,600 crore spent on modernisation of Central Armed Police Forces: MHA

NEW DELHI: A whopping Rs 4,600 crore used for modernising Central Armed Police Forces and Rs 610 crore grant for Jammu and Kashmir and other north eastern states to meet security related expenditures were among other initiatives taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the current fiscal.

However, the government's two ambitious projects - Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems ( CCTNS) and NATGRID - remained behind schedule by nine and five months respectively.

Besides this, Rs 210 crore were released to construct 400 state-of-the-art police stations in Left Wing Extremism affected states during financial year 2011-12, Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters while presenting the monthly report card of his Ministry here today.

"Rs 2,485 crore was spent under five provisioning heads for purchase of arms and ammunition and equipment for the CAPFs. Rs 2,128 crore was sanctioned for land acquisition, building and Border Out Posts (BOPs) of CAPFs," Chidambaram said.

He said Rs 460.68 crore was released to J-K and Rs 350 crore was given to the North Eastern States under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme during the financial year ending today.

"CCTNS project continued to make progress, but it is nine months behind schedule. NATGRID received in principle approval and is making progress, but it is five months behind schedule," Chidambaram said.

The Home Minister pointed out major initiatives taken by the Ministry to further strengthen internal security mechanism in the country including grant of about Rs 385 crore to LWE affected States.

"Rs 210 crore was released to take up construction of 400 model police stations at the cost of Rs 2 crore per police station in LWE-affected states," he said.