Unspent Funds
Monies sanctioned in February ’02 to modernise the paramilitary forces
- Sanctioned: Rs 3,740.71 cr
- Unspent: Rs 977.86 cr (The money will lapse at the end of this financial year)
- An internal study by the BPR&D says the delays are caused by a complex procurement system
- Acquiring imported equipment takes long because approval from home ministry takes undue time
- The study points outs that technical equipment requires trained personnel too, who are currently not there
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An almost decade-old modernisation scheme planned for the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFS) is set to go under, and incredibly because funds to the tune of Rs 977.86 crore went unused. According to an internal impact assessment study by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), monies allocated to various forces are still tied up due to bureaucratic hurdles and delays in cabinet approvals.
The Union home ministry cleared Rs 3,740.71 crore in February 2002 for the modernisation of the six central paramilitary forces—Assam Rifles (AR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the National Security Guard (NSG). The government also approved a three-year plan (2005-08) for the modernisation of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at an estimated cost of Rs 444.43 crore in April 2005. Later, the government approved the extension of both the plans up to March 31, 2011.
Now, the BPD&D study points out that the BSF has Rs 783.59 crore left unspent, Assam Rifles Rs 110.70 crore and crpf Rs 74.37 crore. The CISF and ITBP have relatively smaller amounts to their name, Rs 5.53 and 3.67 crore respectively. With the 2010-11 financial year coming to an end, the unutilised funds will now lapse.
Union home secretary G.K. Pillai admitted to a problem but says that corrective moves are under way: “It’s true that the funds are yet to be utilised but we have time. To expedite the process, we have simplified the system and designed a unified procedure for approvals of various programmes. Financial powers have also been given to the director-generals of the forces. The unified sanction programme, fixed criteria for suppliers etc will remove confusion. Anyone who fulfils the norms will now get the order. Time-bound projects should change the scenario. Planning took time... we also have to constantly look at the changing equipment market while keeping in mind usage in Indian conditions. All this takes time, complete monitoring and supervision.”
The modernisation programme was aimed at increasing the strike capability of the forces with superior arms and effective transport vehicles. The scheme had plans to provide state-of-the-art communications, surveillance and border guarding systems. The modernisation also included upgrading the skills of the troops.
The BPR&D report notes that the BSF has commented that some of the technical equipment would also require qualified personnel. This is besides the delays in booking and acquiring imported equipment, a problem common to all government purchases. Former BSF director-general Prakash Singh says, “The constant upgradation of products must be considered at the planning stage itself. There are delays not just because of late approvals but also because the required knowledge and expertise is missing. Purchases require a good amount of expert and technical opinion on how the equipment will be useful for a longer period.”
