New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS): The Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) scheme has been extended and will continue in 2020-21 also, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
Despite the fact that that police and public order are state subjects, the Centre on September 27, 2017 approved implementation of umbrella scheme of "Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF)" for a three year period from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs 25,061 crore which includes central outlay of Rs 18,636.30 crore, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
He said that this umbrella scheme has two verticals - Police Modernisation and Security Related Expenditure (SRE) that includes central sector sub-schemes such as Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project and e-Prisons project, which have been made operational in all the states and Union Territories.
The total expenditure in the CCTNS project has been 97.5 per cent, that was Rs 1,949 crore out of Rs 2,000 crore since its commencement, and in e-Prisons project, the total expenditure was 100 percent against an outlay of Rs 100 crore.
Against the sub-scheme for assisting central agencies in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) management, an amount of Rs 583.03 crore was spent during last four years while the government also implemented Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme to undertake development interventions in LWE districts, he said, adding that in addition to these, Rs 31.41 crore has been spent for the projects relating to upgradation of police wireless.
One of the major aims of the umbrella scheme was to bolster the government's ability to address challenges faced in different theatres such as areas affected by LWE, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast effectively, and undertake development interventions which will catalyse in improving the quality of life in these areas and help combat these challenges effectively at the same time, he said.
Rai also said that to combat LWE, the government, in 2015, had approved 'National Policy and Action Plan', which include a multi-pronged approach covering areas of security, development, ensuring rights and entitlements of tribals or local communities and perception management.
"The steadfast implementation of the Policy and Action Plan has resulted in decline of LWE related violence and geographical spread of LWE influence. Incidents of LWE violence have come down from a high of 2,258 in 2009 to 665 in 2020."
He also said that the number of deaths also reduced from an all time high of 1,005 in 2010 to 183 in 2020 whereas the geographical spread of LWE violence has constricted resulting in reduction of districts reporting LWE violence from 96 in 2010 to 53 in 2020. The constriction of geographical spread resulted in reduction of SRE districts from 126 to 90 districts with effect from April 1, 2018 and with the improvement of LWE scenario, the number of districts has been further reduced to 70, the Minister added.