Maoist-hit states owe crores to CRPF

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the five Naxal-hit states is facing acute drainage of resources, with the states yet to pay up their share of expenses for the security duties.

With austerity measures of the Union government already implemented, the force has received just Rs 20 crore against their allocation of Rs 918 crore, since 2012, under the police modernisation plan.

The fund-crunch has been compounded because Naxal-hit states – Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar – have also failed to pay up to the CRPF.

These Naxal-hit states owe a whopping Rs 7,163 crore to the CRPF and it accounts for 60 per cent of the total amount of Rs 11,930 crore that all the states have to pay to the force.

This is more than the total amount of Rs 10,932 crore sanctioned for seven paramilitary forces under the police modernisation plan for a period of five years between 2012 and 2017.

It’s not just the CRPF. State governments have also failed to pay several other forces. But the outstanding amount of other forces is lower in comparison to CRPF.

While state governments owe Rs 317 crore to the Indo Tibetan Border Police, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is yet to be paid Rs 110 crore. The difference clearly indicates that Naxal insurgency has taking the maximum toll on the resources.

Sources say constant reminders for payment have been made to the states through the Union Home Ministry, but the dues just keep increasing.

“Even if the states pay half the amount, we can solve many of our problems,” said an officer of a paramilitary force.

“If the government cannot release the amount sanctioned under the police modernisation plan, at least a sincere effort should be made to get some amount from the affected states,” the officer added.

Courtesy: Daily Mail