KARACHI - The Sindh government has allocated Rs92.91 billion for the law enforcement agencies (LEAs), including police and Rangers, in the budget for the next financial year 2017-18, showing an increase of 10 percent.

The budget presented here on Monday also proposed total 10,000 new posts in Sindh Police, while at least Rs2 billion have been allocated for the transportation of police personnel.

The budget also earmarked Rs2.6 billion for a forensic lab currently under-construction to provide Sindh Police a state-of-the-art center to investigate and solve complex crimes.

Similarly Rs280 million have been reserved for the construction of Intelligence School and a Data Center for the police.

The budget also proposes building reception rooms at all police stations of the province with the view to portray a softer image of force.

Similarly the creation of 3,000 new posts has been proposed in the budget for the security of CPEC projects. The budget proposes enhancing the capacity of Special Security Unit (SSU) by inducting 1000 personnel.

Rs2 billion have been allocated for the procurement of security-related equipment, including hi-tech precision arsenal.

A feasibility study will be conducted for the installation of security cameras in major cities of the province at the cost of Rs200 million.

“We are making efforts to improve our prisons. It is high time that we convert our traditional prisons into correctional facilitation and rehabilitation centers. The budget for prisons is being enhanced to Rs4 billion for the next financial year. This shows an increase of 19 percent. Rs195 million have been earmarked for the installation of CCTV cameras in various prisons of Sindh,” Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the Sindh Assembly.

Earlier in the fiscal year, 2016-2017, the budget for Sindh Police had been increased by 17 percent to Rs74 billion.

90 percent of that amount had been set aside for the provincial home department, which also pays for the services of Rangers.

The home department, including police, jails, Rangers and other security agencies, were also the second largest beneficiaries in terms of resource allocation with a share of 14.4 percent in the total expenditures in the fiscal year 2016-2017.

Rs82.3 billion were allocated for the home department in the last fiscal year against the previous fiscal year’s budget estimates of Rs70.8 billion, showing an increase of 16.2 percent.

The budget for the Sindh police was enhanced from Rs63.3 billion to Rs74 billion, showing an increase of 16.9%.

The [annual development programme] ADP for the home department was pitched at Rs2 billion.

“We recognise the sacrifices made by our brave and selfless security personnel. As a token of our gratitude, we have disbursed Rs1000 million among the families of martyred and injured security personnel,” Murad said, and added, “Pakistan Army has imparted training to 3000 newly recruited policemen, while Rs300 million have already been utilised for the purpose. The personnel trained by our professional army are expected to bring about attitudinal change and vigour in our police.”

The CM told the Assembly that as many as 18,163 cops had been recruited through NTS test, which was designed to ensure transparency and merit. “The remunerations of staff performing duties at training institutions have been enhanced to make training assignments more lucrative,” he informed. “Apart from this, 12 facilitation centers are being built at divisional level with the view to assist a common man in reporting loss of valuables, lodging complaints about missing children, domestic violence, vehicle theft and others,” he elaborated.

Similarly, the CM said, Rs2 billion were provided to Sindh Police for the purchase of new vehicles, including 494 mobiles and 351 motorcycles.

“Likewise, Sindh Rangers were given Rs175 million for the purchase of new vehicles,” he concluded.