Karnataka is among States that have not fully used funds allocated for modernisation of the police force and could end up without fresh funds from the Centre this year. It has not submitted utilisation certificates for funds of ₹68.5 crore of the ₹128.61 crore that was released since 2015-2016.
This issue figured in the 28th Southern Zonal meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Tuesday. According to the agenda copy circulated, Karnataka received ₹39.45 crore in 2015-2016, ₹72.04 crore in 2016-2017, and ₹17.12 crore in 2017-2018, totalling to ₹128.61 crore. A note from the Ministry of Home Affairs said unless the State submitted utilisation certificates, no funds for the current year could be released. Karnataka, in its response, indicated that about ₹84 lakh is to be spent from the funds released in 2015-2016. However, utilisation of funds released in 2016-2017 has been 41% with ₹42.5 crore still unspent. Also, ₹17.12 crore released in 2017-2018 is unspent.
“We have requested States to utilise funds. Unless the already released funds are utilised, fresh funds cannot be released,” Secretary of the Inter-State Council’s Secretariat R. Buhril said.
Meanwhile, the State has also asked the Centre to broaden the components for which funds can be used. It told the Centre that the scheme should include construction of building, communication, computerisation, equipment for police stations, forensic science laboratory, finger print bureau, State Intelligence, and building training infrastructure and should also cover mega city police for Bengaluru city.
With reduction in haulage charges imposed by Indian Railways and a revenue sharing formula proposed by the Centre, Karnataka’s luxury train Golden Chariot could have a new lease of life as a ‘peninsular tourism train’. South India’s only luxury train, the Golden Chariot introduced in 2008 has been incurring losses to huge haulage charge at more than ₹50 lakh a trip besides having low occupancy.
The debate was on whether to introduce a new train or consider operational expansion of Golden Chariot to link tourist places in other States. Haulage charge was reduced by 50% and a revenue sharing model was agreed to, he said, adding “now there is more chance of the train doing better.”
