More than 75% offices of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) are running from rented buildings, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed a parliamentary committee.
“The committee was informed by MHA that at present, IB has its own building at 246 locations which is only approximately 20-25% of overall post/unit of IB. More than 75% of the units are running from hired building,” the committee’s report said.
The department related Standing Committee on Home Affairs submitted its report in Rajya Sabha last week.
The committee was informed that in the next five years, it is proposed to purchase land and construct IB’s own office-cum-residence at remaining locations to strengthen the intelligence apparatus and to achieve 100% target for running the post/unit including border intelligence post (BIP) from own office building.
“The committee notes that at present, IB has its own building at approximately 20-25% units and more than 75% of the units are running from hired building. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the MHA may take up the matter with IB to expedite the construction of office-cum-residence at remaining locations in shortest possible time. Adequate budgetary allocation may be requested to the Ministry of Finance for the same,” the report said. IB has been allocated ₹2,839 crore in the 2021-22 Union Budget.
MHA informed the committee that “in compliance of modified exchequer control based expenditure management guidelines issued by Ministry of Finance,” the Central Armed Police Force (CAPFs) were advised to restrict their expenditure within a cap of 10% of budget estimate of 2020-21 except for “cost of ration and salary on actual basis.”
The budget for infrastructure and facilities for CAPFs was slashed from ₹3,768 to ₹1,566 crore in 2020-21. MHA said the construction of many projects could not be taken up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The government had put in place comprehensive restrictions on all activities including movement of persons, goods, constructions etc., from the very beginning of the financial year 2020-21...The construction activities could be resumed to a large extent only from the months of October, 2020 onward. Hence, the implementing agencies entrusted with the construction activities could not achieve much progress in terms of expenditure. Therefore, in view of the absorption capacity of various agencies, the total budget provision was reduced,” the report said.
MHA informed that in accordance with emerging and changing priorities in the wake of COVID-19 and unprecedented demand on public financial resources, new proposals have not been initiated/approved in 2020-21.
