Sindh earmarks Rs119.9bn for law and order

The Sindh government on Tuesday announced a budget of Rs119.97 billion for law and order for the financial year 2021-22, which is Rs5.4 per cent higher than the previous year’s allocation of Rs113.87 billion.

Announcing the budget, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said law and order is directly related to social and economic development of people, adding that his government has always given priority to law and order because it is integral to good governance. “Our commitment to establish and maintain law and order is also evident from the fact that the home department, including police, jails, Rangers and other security agencies, is the third-largest department in terms of resource allocation with a share of 13 per cent in the total current revenue expenditure in FY 2020-21.”

Highlighting some of the milestones achieved in the current financial year, he said Rs661 million was spent on training newly recruited police constables at the Pakistan Army’s training centres. The crime rate on account of terrorism and other heinous crimes fell significantly from 2019-20, he added.

Shah said 32,371 hardened criminals were nabbed, while all driving licence branches in Sindh were centralised, with licences being delivered to the applicants’ doorsteps. IT lab, control and reporting centres and reporting rooms at offices and police stations were also established, he added.

He said five facilitation centres will be established at divisional level in the second stage. Benevolent fund was distributed via digital system to the legal heirs of the deceased police officials, while 3,690 police officials were recruited through the National Testing Service, he added.

He also said 800 cases of financial assistance to deceased police officials were cleared. Certificates and cash awards were distributed to outstanding performers, while the training staff of the Sindh police was sent to V Corps headquarters for specialised training course, he added.

The CM said the Bomb Disposal Squad’s equipment was enhanced with the latest and modern technology, adding that 11 police station buildings were completed and handed over to the police, while 15 new buildings were being constructed.

He said the School of Finance was made functional at the Central Police Office to train drawing & disbursing officers / accountants. Marriage grant of up to Rs50,000 was allowed for all employees of the Sindh police, he added. He said the Sindh police partnered with The Educators, the Allied Schools, the Maryam Schools, the Crescent Group of Public Schools and the TCF Schools for admissions of the children of martyrs and serving officials at 50 per cent fees. Fuel limits of police stations and police posts were enhanced in entire Sindh, he added.

Shah said a number of measures have been planned to improve law and order. He said the police intend to establish 259 reporting rooms at police station level and women police stations in the 21 remaining districts of the province. More vehicles will be procured for security and patrolling, he added.