A Parliamentary panel has advised the Union Home Ministry to take up with the State Governments and Union Territories as also 44 other organisations like airports to work out a payment plan within a fixed timeline for clearance of outstanding dues to the tune of `63,156 crore for deployment of Central paramilitary forces for law and order roles and vital installation security.
The Department related Standing Committee on Home Affairs, headed by the Rajya Sabha MP Brijlal, stated, “Merely reminding the States /UTs and other Organizations to pay the pending dues may not serve any purpose.”
Dues towards deployment of CAPFs in States and UTs, an amount of Rs 17,467.76 crore was deducted by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) from the devolution to the States after making adjustments against the total outstanding dues pending. After this deduction, the total outstanding dues of Rs 47,021.27 crore as on 1st April, 2022 is pending against the States/UTs for the deployment of CAPFs.
Noting the efforts of ministries of Home and Finance to collect Rs 17,467.76 crore from States and UTs for the deployment of Central Forces, the panel expressed concern as the Union Home Ministry has not provided any precise payment instructions for the States/UTs to follow in order to pay the remaining dues amounting to Rs 47,021.27 crore.
The Committee recommended that the Home Ministry, in consultation with the Union Finance Ministry, create a framework for time bound future collection of dues owed by States and UTs in connection with the deployment of paramilitary forces or Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The Committee also recommended that the issue be taken up with the Ministry of Civil Aviation at the earliest so that any outstanding dues can be recovered from them as well as all the airlines are now fully operational and the number of air passengers has returned to what it was before the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The panel expressed concerns over the staggered dues of Rs 63,156 crore pending against various States/ Union Territories (UTs) on account of deployment of security provided by CAPFs including CISF at airports, Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) and other installations.
Rs 1,533.36 crore bills are outstanding on account of deployments in Delhi.
Outstanding dues on account of deployment of CISF at various installations including airports is to the tune of Rs 6,019.42 crore, which includes an amount of Rs 5,003.13 crore for deployment at airports. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has informed that non-operation of airlines due to COVID-19 had resulted in substantial reduction in the air passenger traffic during the FY 2020-21.