ISLAMABAD, June 6: The government has allocated Rs18.721 billion for law and order and public safety in the country in the budget 2005-2006. According to the budget documents the allocation is 23.8 per cent higher than the amount earmarked for this purpose in the budget 2004-2005. In the last budget Rs15.068 billion were allocated for public order and safety affairs.

Under the next fiscal budget Rs17.287 billion would be spent on police against Rs14.366 billion spent on it in the last budget.

An amount of Rs559 million would be spent on law courts in the next fiscal year while Rs506 million where spent udner this head in the budget 2004-2005.

A sum of Rs805 million has been earmarked for administration of police order in the budget 2005-2006 against Rs2.612 billion spent in the last financial year.

An amount of Rs55 million has been allocated for fire protection, the amount is Rs1 million lesser than the last year’s allocation for this purpose.

For prison administration and operations, Rs15 million have been earmarked whereas Rs14 million were spent on it during the last fiscal.

PSDP: An amount of Rs5.178 billion would be spent on law and order, law enforcement agencies, immigration and passport departments under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2005-2006.

The heaviest allocations of Rs1.2 billion each were made for two major on-going projects in Balochistan. One of them is conversion of ‘B’ area into ‘A’ area in 25 revenue districts in Balochistan.

The entire project will cost Rs5.515 billion and so far Rs600 million have been spent on it. An area where there is no police station is called B area in police terminology, where police system exists is known as A area.

The government has also focussed on strengthening Balochistan Constabulary to maintain law and order in the province and Rs1.2 billion have been allocated for this purpose. The total estimated cost of this project is Rs4.138 billion and so far Rs600 million have been spent on it.

NEW PROJECTS: The ministry of interior will launch a project of extension of runway at Khalid Aviation Base Quetta at a cost Rs12.899 million. Similarly Rs6.555 million would be spent on another project of CJ staff training institute Lahore, construction of Frontier Corps (FC) district headquarters building at Kanju (Sawat) will cost Rs39 million and Rs3 million have been allocated for this project. Rs8 million have been allocated for construction of FC district headquarters at Malakand (phase III, IV and V), Rs10 million for water supply to FC headquarters in Gilgit, Rs10.4 million for construction of FC lines at Gilgit, Rs5 million for construction of barracks, family quarters, recreation hall, canteen, gymnasium and shops at FC lines Shabqadar, Rs10 million for construction of accommodation for Northern Area (NA) scouts headquarters at Skardu, Rs20 million for construction of accommodation for officers of NA scouts headquarters Gilgit, Rs10 million for construction of single-man barracks in battalion headquarters at Karachi, Rs10 million