ISLAMABAD: The capital police will get an increase of Rs662 million in its budget for the financial year 2019.

An amount of Rs7.09 billion was allocated for the police in the fiscal year 2018-19 which was later revised to Rs7.12bn. In the forthcoming fiscal year, the police will get Rs7.75bn.

During the last financial year, the police had a strength of 11,044 which was increased to 11,555. An amount of Rs6.97bn has been allocated under the head of employees-related expenses, including pay and allowances, for the next year against Rs6.49bn allocated last year.

A decrease was witnessed in the budget of pay from Rs2.76bn to Rs2.66bn for the upcoming financial year. But allowances have been increased to Rs4.30bn from Rs3.72bn.

Likewise, there is a Rs130million increase in the operating expenses, including communication, utilities, occupancy costs, motor vehicles, travel and transportation.

An amount of Rs429,34,000 was allocated for the operating expenses in the outgoing financial year which has now been increased to Rs560,474,000 for the next fiscal year. The budget for physical assets, including computer equipment, was increased to Rs123,405,000 from last year’s Rs79,105,000.

Allocation for repair and maintenance, including transport, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixture, building and structure, was increased to Rs56,821,000 from Rs34,751,000.

The budget for the Rapid Response Force was increased by Rs86m. A decrease was made in the budget for deployment of forces in the aid of civil administration by Rs1m. In this head, Rs13,275,000 had been allocated in previous financial year while Rs11,952,000 have been set aside for the next financial year.

An amount of Rs7,289,000 was allocated for the prosecution department against Rs7,259,000 of last year.

The chief commissioner office also got an increase of Rs104m in its budget as it was allocated Rs254,420,000 against Rs149,964,000 for the previous year.

The deputy commissioner office will get Rs234,109,000 against Rs159,229,000 allocated to it last year.

The Civil Defence Department will get Rs6,818,000 against the allocation of Rs6,632,000 last year.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2019