The Centre has substantially reduced the charges to the States for deployment of Central Paramilitary Forces for various law and order duties, including communal tensions and insurgency-related violence, Home Ministry officials said on Friday.
According to the revised rates, a general category State will have to pay Rs 13.7 crore annually to the Central Government for deployment of a seven-company battalion during financial year 2019-20, excluding the actual cost of transportation and movement of the forces. The charge was Rs 52.40 crore during 2018-19 deployment in similar areas.
A paramilitary company will comprise not less than 90 personnel. The charges for the deployment of the same number of troops in general category States for financial year 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 would be Rs 15.40 crore, Rs 17.36 crore, Rs 19.65 crore and Rs 22.30 crore, respectively, according to a Home Ministry circular sent to the States.
From financial year 2014-15 to 2017-18, the amount was fixed with an annual increase of five per cent. The deployment charges for financial year 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 were Rs 43.10 crore, Rs 45.26 crore, Rs 47.52 crore and Rs 49.90 crore, respectively.
The amount recoverable per annum for deployment of one battalion in high risk and high hardships areas will be Rs 34.26 crore (2019-20), Rs 35.96 crore (2020-21), Rs 37.93 crore (2021-22), Rs 40.21 crore (2022-23) and Rs 42.86 crore (2023-24).
Amount recoverable per annum for one battalion deployed in high risk and moderate hardships areas will be Rs 25.18 (2019-20), Rs 26.88 crore (2020-21), Rs 28.85 crore (2021-22), Rs 31.13 crore (2022-23) and Rs 33.78 crore (2023-24), according to the circular issued on September 8.
There was no categorisation of high risk, high hardships or moderate hardships between 2014-15 and 2018-19. The revised charges were communicated to the State Governments by the Union Home Ministry recently.
The new rates will be applicable with effect from financial year 2019-20.Union Territories (UT) without legislatures will be exempted from payment of the deployment charges.
The States and the UTs are required to bear the cost of suitable and adequate accommodation and allied facilities such as water and power supply for the CAPF contingents deployed. Such costs will not be reimbursed by the Central Government.
The payments received from the borrowing states and UTs within 90 days from the date of claim shall get a rebate of 5 per cent and a delay would attract a cumulative quarterly penalty at the rate of 2.5 per cent, another official said.
The northeastern States, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Naxal-affected States will pay only 10 per cent of the deployment charges applicable to other States during the next five years.