Police budget witnesses continuous decline

Only 5% of total budget was allocated to police department last year

LAHORE: The budget allocation for Punjab Police has substantially decreased for the last three years, an analysis of the provincial government budget of last decade has revealed.

The statistics available with The Express Tribune revealed that during current fiscal year (2020-21), 5.3% approximately of total Punjab budget has been allocated for police department.

Only 5% of the total budget was allocated to the police department during last year. During 2018-19, 5.53% of total Punjab budget was allocated for Punjab Police.

The allocation is a substantial decrease when compared with year 2017-18 when 7.72% allocation was made. In 2016-17, 7.9 %, in 2015, 8.36%, in 2014, 8.2%, in 2013, 7.7%, in 2012 8.25% and in 2011 approximately 7.91% of total provincial budget allocation was made.

During the current fiscal year, Rs119 billion has been specified for the Punjab Police out of budget of Rs2.24 trillion that is approximately 5.3% of total budget.

The official data of the Punjab Police showed that it received Rs115 billion out of Rs2.3 trillion total budget during 2019-20. The allocation was 5% of the total budget.

In 2018-19, Punjab Police received Rs111.78 billion out of Rs2.026 trillion that is 5.53% of total. In 2017-18, the department received Rs95.13 billion out of Rs1.317 trillion that is 7.72% of total.

In 2016-17, Rs88.24 billion were allocated out of Rs1.16 trillion that is 7.9% of total. In 2015-16, Rs86.70 billion were allocated that is 8.36% of total 1.04 trillion of the provincial budget.

In 2014-15, out of total Rs990.86 billion budget Punjab Police received Rs81.28 billion that is 8.2% of the total budget.

In 2013-14, as many as Rs70.13 billion was allocated out of Rs909.69 billion of total budget that is 7.7% of the total budget.

In 2012-13, Punjab Police received Rs64.66 billion out of a budget of Rs782.86 billion Punjab budget. The allocation is 8.25% of the total budget.

In 2011-12, Rs51.82 billion had been allocated out of Rs654.75 billion provincial budget. The allocation is 7.91% of the total budget.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2020.