The Cabinet has given its approval for implementation of an umbrella scheme of ‘Modernisation of Police Forces’ for years 2017-18 to 2019-20, with financial outlay of ₹25,060 crore, out of which the Central Government’s share will be ₹18,636 crore and the States’ share will be ₹6,424 crore.

Special provision has been made under the scheme for internal security, law and order, women security, availability of modern weapons, mobility of police forces, logistics support, hiring of helicopters, upgradation of police wireless, National Satellite Network, CCTNS project and e-prison project, Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home Affairs, said here after the Cabinet meeting.

Under the umbrella scheme, Central budget outlay of ₹10,132 crore has been earmarked for internal security-related expenditure for Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern States and left-wing extremism-affected States.

A Scheme of Special Central Assistance for 35 worst LWE affected districts has been introduced with an outlay of ₹3,000 crore to tackle the issue of underdevelopment in these district, he added. An outlay of ₹100 crore has been earmarked in the North Eastern States for police infrastructure upgradation, training institutes and investigation facilities, said a release.

The scheme also provides for setting up of a modern forensic science laboratory at Amravati in Andhra Pradesh and upgradation of Sardar Patel Global Centre for Security, Counter Terrorism and Anti-Insurgency in Jaipur and Gujarat Forensic Science University in Gandhi Nagar.

New initiatives will be introduced to provide assistance to States for upgradation of police infrastructure, forensic science laboratories, institutions and the equipment available with them to plug critical gaps in the criminal justice system. Police stations will be integrated to set up a national database of crime and criminals’ records. It will be linked with other pillars of criminal justice system such as prisons, forensic science laboratories and prosecution offices.

Tower sharing In another decision, the Cabinet also approved proposal to set up telecom towers in defence areas on a sharing basis, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for IT, said.

The Cabinet approved a proposal for revision of policy of Ministry of Defence for providing defence land to communication operators for construction of shared communication towers and allied infrastructure.

The revised policy will cover allotment of defence land on lease and grant of permission in defence areas and cantonments to access service licensees and companies registered with DoT

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