Central Government Boosts Border Development and Police Modernization with Rs 4846-Crore Scheme

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai announced the approval of schemes worth over Rs 4846 crore for police modernization and border development. The ASUMP scheme focuses on improving police infrastructure, while the Vibrant Villages Programme targets the development of 662 border villages across several northern states.

In a significant development, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai revealed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the central government has sanctioned a comprehensive scheme titled 'Assistance to States and Union Territories for Modernization of Police (ASUMP)'. Allocating Rs 4846 crore for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, the initiative aims to robustly equip state and UT police through advanced infrastructure enhancements.

The scheme's core ambition is to fortify police infrastructure at the grassroots, ensuring police stations are furnished with cutting-edge technology, modern weaponry, and state-of-the-art communication systems. It also includes constructing new police stations across all states and UTs, Rai explained in his written statement to the Lok Sabha.

In parallel, Rai announced the central Government's approval of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) on February 15, 2023. This initiative, classified as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, targets the holistic development of 662 strategically located villages in 46 blocks bordering the northern territories, encompassing 19 districts in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and the UT of Ladakh. For the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25, Rs 150 crore and Rs 209 crore have been earmarked respectively, with states and UTs as the primary fund managers, Rai confirmed to Lok Sabha in another written reply.

Additionally, Rai updated on the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS), highlighting the issuance of 49,189 scholarships to beneficiaries belonging to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and state police personnel since its launch in 2006-07. Till 2023-24, a considerable sum of Rs 1,39,94,16,750 from the sanctioned total of Rs 1,39,96,72,276 has been distributed, he noted. A merit list for the academic year 2024-25 will be finalized post-March 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)