STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: After series of fidayeen strikes on vital security installations in the past, the State police has spent about Rs 280 crore for strengthening the security grid and ensuring foolproof security of various police installations in the past two years.
There are more than 200 police stations across the State.
Similarly for accommodating security forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir an average sum of Rs 50 crore annually was spent on paying their rent bills. In addition an equal amount is spent on carriage of constabulary from security related expenditure (SRE). Interestingly, over Rs 30 crore were spent in the last two years on detenues lodged across different jails in the State.
According to State Home Department officials, “Each year the Union Government is funding Security related expenditure to the tune of Rs 500 crore and above”.
Out of this roughly Rs 52 crore is spent on rent of accommodation of security forces and Rs50 crore (approximately) on carriage of constabulary. An additional sum of Rs 82 crore was spent on alternate accommodation for security forces.
Sharing details of the total Security related expenditure of last two years in the State the State Home department sources claimed, “Rs 515 crore were spent on SRE in 2014-15 and Rs 543 crore were spent in 2015-16″.
According to official sources, ” a sum of Rs174.42 crore were spent on paying honorarium to Special Police Officers (SPOs). At present over 22,000 SPOs are currently attached with the State police department.
Each one of them is entitled to monthly payment of Rs 6,000 on completion of three years of attachment. Rs 5,000 is paid to those with less than one year of service while Rs 5,500 is paid to those who have completed one year of service.
The Centre is also funding expenditure of security forces deployed along the border posts in aid of Indian army and BSF.
Rs 6.5 crore were spent on security forces deployed along the border posts. To ensure better relations with the masses the State police force is organising several programmes including sporting events, co-curricular activities and educational tours. During the last two years State police spent Rs 6.7 crore on civic action programme.
According to the State Home Department officials, Rs 198 crore were spent in 2015-16 while Rs 81.43 crore were spent in 2014-15. The security forces had also incurred Rs 188 crore during election duties in the State. Rs 161.73 crore were spent in 2014-15 while Rs 27.85 crore were spent in 2015-16 on election duties.
