Government allows CRPF to use SRE funds

New Delhi: In order to better equip the CRPF for operations in Left-wing extremism (LWE) affected areas and in the Kashmir Valley, the government has allowed the force to directly utilise Centrally-sponsored Security Related Expenditure (SRE) funds for building infrastructure facilities for its troops. According to sources the Union home ministry for the first-time has allowed the paramilitary force to directly draw from the SRE funds after seeking approval from respective states to whom this money is made available by the Centre. The SRE scheme is granted by the Union government to LWE hit and insurgency affected states of the country for the purpose of reimbursement of security-related expenditure like transportation, communication, hiring of vehicles, stipend to surrendered Maoists, construction of infrastructure for forces among others.

Creating good living facilities and providing modern weapons and gadgets to forces is the most important measure when it comes to keeping high the morale of these men deployed in some of the toughest areas of operations, sources said.

There was a considerable delay in getting work infrastructure done by way of getting the funds from states for accomplishing these tasks and hence it was devised that the SRE amount could be directly utilised by forces like the CRPF to get their job done, they said.

The official added that the CRPF, designated as the lead anti-Naxal operations force of the country, recently got constructed camps in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh from these funds while work is on to create these facilities in Sukma and Dantewada districts located in the worst-hit Bastar region of the state. Similarly, a good number of CRPF camps are being refurbished and fortified in Kashmir valley by directly utilising  SRE funds, sources said. The CRPF has deployed about a lakh of its personnel for LWE operations.

A good number of camps of the force in the Kashmir valley require upgradation and enhancement of security features like creating tall perimeter walls and multi-layered physical obstacles to keep them secure and prepared against terrorist raids.