500m rupees is the amount in the police department’s proposed budget which has been earmarked for setting up CCTV cameras around Karachi. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI
KARACHI:
The police department’s budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year isn’t much different from the one last year, with 85 per cent of the funds earmarked for “employee-related expenses”.
Last year, the government allocated Rs39 billion for the department but this time, the police have asked it to bump the amount up by Rs4 billion. While talking to The Express Tribune, DIG finance Dost Ali Baloch said, “I think the budget proposal is very simple - we’ve tried our best to sort out the department’s issues.”
According to the proposal, the lion’s share will be spent on employees’ salaries and other allowances, such as health. About 15 per cent of the amount proposed will be used to procure new equipment to take on crime and terrorism. The department plans to spend Rs500 million on setting up CCTV cameras around the city and another Rs200 million to Rs300 million on arms and ammunition. In the proposal, a total of Rs20 million have been set aside to revamp the police’s special branch and create 7,500 new posts in the department.
The police, Citizens-Police Liaison Committee and city government have already set up surveillance cameras in parts of city - the law enforcers are now hoping to extend the network.
“We took the decision on the surveillance cameras keeping in mind the law and order situation. The more CCTV cameras we have, the more effective the police force will be to keep a check on terrorism and crime,” explained DIG Baloch.
He also said the police plans to invest more in the special branch because it has proved to be effective. “It has also played a vital role in curbing violence - that’s why we’ve planned to spend more money on it. We’re going to try to improve the department by providing the latest equipment to it, helping the way it runs its intelligence network.”
Given the all-too-frequent waves of violence which sweep over Karachi, some police officials feel the amount of money the department needs has rocketed skywards. Keeping this in mind, they have expressed their reservations about the submitted budget proposal, saying that it simply isn’t good enough.
“To tackle terrorism and crime, we’ll obviously have to do a lot more than what we’re already doing,” said an officer who wished to remain anonymous. “But with this budget proposal, it seems as if we won’t be able to do much because a massive 85 per cent has been suggested for employee-related expenses. What wonders will be able to perform with the 15 per cent to be spent on other things such as equipment?”
A senior officer said the department needs to hire more people. “We also need to try to procure more armoured personnel carriers, motorcycles, vans, bullet-proof jackets, helmets and weapons.
I think if we don’t focus on these things, our problems won’t get resolved,” said the officer. “But all of this has been happening for our VVIPs. Let’s see how they move forward with the proposed budget.”
But DIG Baloch defended the budget proposal, saying that it was too early to criticise it. “Look, we map out the proposal keeping in mind things we feel the need to invest in and then we make estimates,” he said. “It’s exactly like how, when we step out of the house, we try to think about how the day would unfold and how we’ll respond. But it isn’t necessary that the day will play out exactly as we thought it would.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2013.
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