KARACHI: The Sindh government on Wednesday announced an increase of over Rs4 billion in the budget for security in the province, fixing it at Rs113.87bn for fiscal 2020-21 compared to Rs109.79bn allocated in the last fiscal year with a promise to enhance local crime prevention through police patrolling with dedicated funds of Rs2bn that would upgrade the old police fleet.

Details issued with the budget documents titled “Salient Features 2020-21” carry next year’s plans and estimates allocated in the budget of next fiscal under the head of “Law & Order”.

It mentions how the provincial government of the Pakistan Peoples Party envisages its priorities for the next fiscal when it comes to security and law and order of the province.

“Law & order and safety (including Home, Police, Jails, Rangers and other security agencies) is one of the target functions in terms of resource allocation with a share of 12 per cent in total current revenue expenditure in FY2020-21,” it said. “The home department has been allocated Rs113.87 billion in next FY2020-21 as against CFY budget estimates of Rs109.79 billion. The allocation includes the budget for the Sindh Police of Rs102.16 billion, Home Administration of Rs7.23 billion and Jails of Rs4.48 billion.”

Efforts against bad policing

It says that the government of Sindh has established a secretariat “Provincial Public Safety & Police Complaints Commission Sindh”, with Rs99 million, to empower the ordinary people of the province against bad policing.

Last year, the Sindh government had announced over nine per cent increase in the budget for security in the province, fixing it at Rs109.788bn with a promise to recruit 3,000 police personnel in the law-enforcement agency. With serious challenges of coronavirus outbreak and emerging situation amid the pandemic, the provincial authorities sounded more concerned about the health and social sector.

However, the budget document claims that despite serious challenges ahead, the PPP government will also focus on capacity building of the province’s security administration and initiate various projects to enhance performance of law-enforcement agencies.

“The government of Sindh has established a DNA Tests Facility with Rs100 million to adopt forensic technique in National Disasters and Criminal Investigations, including terrorist activities and rape cases,” it said. “Model Police Stations are established with the cost of Rs361.22 million at Clifton, Liaquatabad and Ferozabad police stations. Local crime prevention through police patrolling will be enhanced by two billion rupees for upgrading the old police fleet.”

For traffic police, it says, its operations are being improved with Rs75.21m while School of Finance at Central Police Office, Karachi has been established for training and capacity building of budget and accounts staff of the Sindh police in financial matters.

“The status of district prison Mirpurkhas has been upgraded to Central Prison Mirpurkhas with allocation of Rs63.65 million,” it says giving details about prisons across the province. “Sindh Judicial Academy would gear up its activities for grooming and imparting training to the officers with Rs40 million. Legal assistance though Legal Aid Society will be provided to downtrodden people with Rs30.1 million. Strengthening of district judiciary and apex court would be achieved by providing additional 230 posts.”

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2020