MHA gets Rs 1.96 lakh crores in Budget-2023; focus on women safety, police modernisation

New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): In the Union Budget 2023-24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has allocated Rs 1.96 lakh crore to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with a substantial increase in sectors like women’s safety, police modernisation as well as border infrastructure and management.

The overall MHA budget (including support to Union Territories), is Rs 1,96,034.94 crore. The Budget 2022-23 had earmarked Rs 1,85,776.55 crore. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2023-24 in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

There has been a total of 60.5 per cent increase over Budget Estimates on the safety of women– a maximum hike in any sector under the MHA–followed by modernization of police forces (36.15 per cent), modernization and upgradation of visa and immigration system (31 per cent), border infrastructure and management (29.17 per cent), National Disaster Response Force (19.87 per cent) and Delhi Police (15.22 per cent).

Of the total Budget allocated to the MHA, helmed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rs 41,539 crores have been marked to support Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Rs 11,932 crores have been allocated to the MHA for Delhi Police.
A sum of Rs 1,100 crore has been allocated for women’s safety schemes while Rs 3,636.66 crore has been given for the development of police infrastructure in comparison to Rs 2,188.38 crore allocated in 2022-23. For the modernisation of police forces in the country, the budget allocated Rs 3,750 crore in comparison to Rs 2,432.06 crore given in 2022-23.

A sum of Rs 3,545.03 crore has been allocated for the development of border infrastructure like construction of roads and bridges in comparison to Rs 3,738.98 crore allocated in the current fiscal while Rs 2780.88 crore has been allocated for security-related expenditure in comparison to Rs 2,024.54 crore given in the current fiscal.

The budget also allocated Rs 1,564.65 crore for census-related works, Rs 700 crore for the modernisation of forensic capacities, Rs 350.61 crore for maintenance of border check posts and Rs 202.27 crore for Modernisation Plan IV for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

An amount of Rs 1,27,756.74 crore has been allocated to the CAPFs in comparison to Rs 1,19,070.36 crore in 2022-23.

Among the CAPFs, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)– which is deputed to provide internal security and fighting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Naxal-affected regions, has been allocated Rs 31,772.23 crore in comparison to Rs 31,495.88 crore given in 2022-23.

The Border Security Force (BSF), which guards India’s border with Pakistan and Bangladesh besides handling internal security assignments, has been given Rs 24,771.28 crore in comparison to Rs 23,557.51 crore given in the current fiscal.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which protects vital installations such as nuclear projects, airports and metro networks, has been given Rs 13,214.68 crore in comparison to Rs 12,293.23 crore allocated in 2022-23.

The Shashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan, has been allocated Rs 8,329.10 crore compared to Rs 8,019.78 crore given in 2022-23.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards the Sino-Indian border, got Rs 8,096.89 crore in comparison to Rs 7,626.38 crore given in the current fiscal.
The Assam Rifles, which is deployed along the India-Myanmar border and for anti-insurgency duties in the Northeast, has been allocated Rs 7,052.46 crore in comparison to Rs 6,561.33 crore given in the current fiscal.

The National Security Guard (NSG), the elite commando force to tackle any emergency security situation, has been allocated Rs 1,286.54 crore in comparison to Rs 1,183.80 crore given in 2022-23.

The Intelligence Bureau has been given Rs 3,418.32 crore compared to Rs 3,022.02 crore in the current fiscal year.

The Special Protection Group (SPG), which protects the prime minister, has been allocated Rs 433.59 crore in comparison to Rs 411.88 crore given in 2022-23. (ANI)