Govt refuses to waive off cost for states' CAPFs

The Government of India refused to accept the plea of state governments over the waiving off cost of deployment charges of CAPFs on Tuesday. Earlier, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal requested the Ministry of Home Affairs for waiving off the cost.

However in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, MoS for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju asserted that as per the extant policy of the government, the states are required to bear the cost of deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at the prescribed rates in their states. "The request has been examined nut not agreed to in view of the extant policy of the Government of India," Rijiju mentioned in his reply to question at the lower house of the Parliament. He also mentioned that, "Two requests were received from the State Government of Andhra Pradesh vide letters dated 28.5.2014 and 24.6.2016 for waiving off Rs. 1003.61 crore and Rs. 50.76 crore respectively which have not been agreed to in biew if the extant policy of the Government of India."

Earlier the state governments asserted that it is the responsibility of both the Union government and the states to fight against anti-social and terror elements in various parts of the country, but the deployment of central forces appears to be quite unreasonable by the Union Government.

On the other hand, Rijiju also clarified that the government is stressing on expansion of CAPF. "Two additional Reserve Battalions have been sanctioned to CISF in June, 2016. Further in December the centre increased the ceiling of strength of CISF from 1, 45,000 to 1, 80,000."

In a meeting of the standing committee of Home Affairs in February the members claimed that though the government claimed that the security situation is under control in the country, but the official data of MHA shows the opposite picture and exposes its failure. Amid 9, 67,816 posts in Paramilitary forces, 73,464 posts are vacant. Even the infiltration attempts and terror activities also got increased in the last four years. Thus the MoS clarified that, "The required manpower for expansion or new induction is met from this enhanced strength on need basis."