PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs32.75 billion for the police during the next financial year.

Of the money, Rs28.57 billion is meant for salary, Rs4.18 billion for non-salary and operational expenses and Rs2.98 million for development expenditure, revealed the budget 2015-16 announced by finance minister Muzaffar Said in the provincial assembly on Monday.

The minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been severely affected by terrorism and therefore, budgetary allocations for law-enforcement agencies had been increased.

“Increase in budgetary allocations for law and order is meant to ensure effective and professional provision of public security and law enforcement. The government will build capacity of law-enforcement agencies, improve infrastructure for law enforcement agencies, improve infrastructure for jails, and build capacity for better planning,” he said.

On average, budget for the provincial police has gone up 15 percent during the last five years with the greatest increase of 24 percent seen in 2012-13.

According to the budget documents, Rs32.75 billion has been allocated for jails and convict settlements in 2015-16.

In 2014-15, the money originally allocated for the purpose was Rs1.3 billion, which was later revised to Rs175 million.

The budget allocated for home department in the next fiscal is Rs1.44 billion.

Originally, it was Rs1.16 billion during 2014-15 but was later revised to Rs1.96 billion.

The budget documents showed that massive allocations had been made for the programme of building police stations, checkposts and police lines and procure equipment to fight terrorism and improve security.

The money allocated for prison department is for construction and rehabilitation of jails, and solar energisation, provision of water filtration plants and better security checks in jails.

For the department, Rs3.5 billion has been earmarked. The money will be spent on 57 projects, including 40 ongoing (Rs3.1 billion) and 17 new (Rs405 million).

The documents said the law and order budget would be used to strengthen the Directorate of Provincial Public Safety and Police Complaints Commission and its district formations, and enhance the capacity of bomb disposal unit of police department.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2015

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