The Centre has approved `120 crores to strengthen 400 police stations located in Naxal-affected areas across the country.
According to sources the first instalment of `30 lakhs to each of the 400 police stations has been approved for construction of new buildings, residential complex, bunkers and to procure arms and communication equipment. This project is part of the home ministry’s continuous effort to provide assistance in terms of extending logistics and deploying paramilitary forces to the states to fight Maoists, sources said. The budget allocation under Security Related Expenditure scheme has been increased to `337 crores in 2011-12 as against only `80 crores in 2008-09.
The budget allocation under Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) has also been increased to `140 crores in 2011-12 as against only `30 crores in 2009-10, sources added. The Centre has also placed `3,300 crores with the district administration of 60 districts under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and 67,175 works are under implementation. Eighteen more districts will be added under IAP in 2012-13, sources said.
Besides, the government has recently sanctioned more than 19,000 night-vision devices for security personnel of the CRPF and the ITBP, deployed in Naxal-affected areas and along the country’s borders.
Sources said, “The high-end devices, procured from public sector BEL, include weapon mounted night-vision telescopes, night sights for rocket launchers, monoculars and binoculars and helmet mounted night vision devices which can be worn by troops”.