The Ministry of Home Affairs got a steep hike of 24.56 per cent in the Union Budget with a total outlay of Rs77,000 crore. Majority of the funds was earmarked for CRPF and BSF, responsible for internal security and border security. Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the Budget as an “excellent” one.
In the 2016-17 Budget, a total of Rs50,176.45 crore has been allocated to seven paramilitary forces.
Among these forces, Central Reserve Police Force, deployed for internal security, action against Maoists and operations against militants, has been earmarked the highest at Rs16,228.18 crore.
Border Security Force, which guards Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders, will get Rs14,652.90 crore, while Central Industrial Security Force, responsible for security of country’s airports, nuclear installation, key Government buildings and private entities like Infosys, has been allocated Rs6,067.13 crore.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police, tasked with protecting the China-India border, has got an outlay of Rs4,231.04 crore and Assam Rifles, deployed in Indo-Myanmar border and dealing with insurgents in the North-East, will get Rs4,363.88 crore.
The Budget allocated Rs2,490 crore for erection of barbed wire fencing, construction of roads and induction of hi-tech surveillance on Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pak borders. The Intelligence Bureau, responsible for gatheringinternal intelligence, has been allocated Rs1,410.45 crore while Special Protection Group (SPG), will get Rs359.55 crore.
National Intelligence Grid, which aims to link databases as an input in combating terrorism and intends to create a facility to improve capability to counter internal security threats, has an outlay of Rs45 crore.
Rs2,119.88 crore has been kept for “providing support for research activities” in the Home Ministry. Rs150 crore has been allocated under Nirbhaya fund for safety of women.