Chhattisgarh Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu on Wednesday appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to increase the Centre’s share in the police modernization fund (PMF) for the Chhattisgarh Police.
In 2013-14, the funds sanctioned for modernization of Chhattisgarh Police was Rs 56 crore. Now it is less than Rs 20 crore, an official communiqué quoted Sahu as telling Shah in a letter.
Sahu said Chhattisgarh is fighting the Maoist menace for several years and deduction in the Chhattisgarh Police fund will affect the modernization and other activities of the police.
He requested Shah to increase the central government’s share in PMF.
Sahu pointed out that Chhattisgarh's share has been cut although 14 of its districts are hit by Naxalite violence and fall under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme. Of these, eight districts are highly Maoist affected.
The SRE Scheme runs in Maoist extremism affected districts with central government assistance.
Sahu mentioned that the strength of the Chhattisgarh Police had zoomed from 22,520 to 75,678. During the period, 11 new revenue districts were created, increasing the number of police stations from 293 to 467.
At present, apart from the Special Task Force (STF), Chhattisgarh has 22 armed battalions, a special information branch unit and training schools such as Police Academy Chandrakhuri and CTJW College Kanker.
At present, 45 battalions of paramilitary forces are deployed in the state to fight the Maoists.