₹45 cr to manage public perception in Valley

₹22.5CR WILL BE SPENT TO COUNTER FALSE PROPAGANDA BY LEFTWING EXTREMISTS AND ~60CR FOR CIVIC PLANS IN THE AREA

NEWDELHI: ‘Countering false propaganda’ and ‘perception management’ are some of the key components of Centre’s ₹25,000 crore umbrella scheme aimed at modernising country’s police forces.

On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the implementation of Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF), under which the Centre will bear 80% of expenses under the scheme while the states will take care of the rest.

According to official documents, ₹45 crore will be used for perception management in Kash- mir, a civic action plan for Central Armed police forces and other social services under the scheme. Another ₹1,900 crore have been earmarked for providing relief and rehabilitation to J&K migrants and an equal amount has been set aside for a “civic action plan” for J&K police, extending logistic support to security forces and giving honorarium to Special Police Officer’s (SPO).

Developing infrastructure in areas hit by left-wing violence in another key feature of the scheme and to achieve this, the government will spend ₹22.5 crore to disseminate information about its various development and welfare schemes and counter the ‘false propaganda’ spread by left-wing extremists. The scheme also has provision for spending ₹60 crore on civic action plans of CAPFS deployed in LWE affected areas.

Few other components of the scheme include, spending ₹628 crore for 250 fortified police stations in LWE- affected areas and ₹1,215 crore for Northeastern states. The government has also earmarked funds for gratuitous relief to victims of militancy and raising of India Reserve Battalions.

The massive spending on security and police forces comes two years after the states’ share of revenue went up to 42 % following the implementation of the 14th finance commission. As a result of this, the task of police modernisation had been left largely to the states.

Union minister Rajnath Singh in a statement on the MPF said that the scheme will help in realising the dream of “Samriddha Aur Surakshit Bharat”.