Punjab budget 2014-15: Police, Rescue and Prisons

Rs81.68 billion has been allocated to police while Rs7.36 billion has been fixed for the Punjab prisons.

LAHORE: Rescue Budget

Despite dozens of deadly emergency incidents including LDA Plaza fire; which claimed hundreds of lives last year, the budget allocated to Punjab Rescue Service, is least among past five years’ budgets with only Rs1.450 billion rupees earmarked for the ongoing and the new projects that include spreading the rescue service’s network to all Tehsils in 36 district of Punjab.

In ongoing projects, under the District development program, rescue station in kamonki, wazirabad and Noshehra Virkan in Gunjranwala district, three new stations at Gajjumatta, Raiwind and Manga Mandi in Lahore, at Narang mandi, Mureedkay, Feroze Watwan, Khanqah Dogran, Safdarabad in Sheikhupura district, at Jahanian in Khanewal district, and at Burewala and Tibba Sultab pur in Vehari district will be established and Rs76.689 million have been allocated.

Other regular ongoing projects include, establishment of emergency services academy at Lahore, capacity building for managing high-rise buildings and capacity building of emergency service in general which will cost Rs100 million.

The new schemes include procurement of missing facilities for emergency services and establishment of rescue centers at 34 more tehsils in Punjab, which will be completed in different phases over a period of next three years.

Police

The budget for police has been raised by 16% from a previously set amount of Rs70.5 billion to Rs81.68 billion in the provincial budget 2014-15.

During budget speech in the Punjab assembly, Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman announced that Rs81.68 billion were earmarked for the police department out of which, around Rs68.81 billion would be spent on salaries while the remaining Rs12.87 billion have been allocated for other expenditures of the department.

Rs74.23 billion have been fixed for provincial police force while Rs405.4 million has been allocated to the local police. Rs1.99 billion would be spent on staff training. Other civil armed forces will get Rs4.22 billion and an amount of Rs821.393 million has been allocated for other expenditures.

Rs2.24 billion have been fixed for Special Branch, Rs3.91 billion for the Counter terrorism department while Rs467.114 million were allocated for Qaumi Razakar Organisation.

Rs80 million has been allocated for works, Rs892.374 million have been allocated for the Elite Police Force.

Rs91.388 million have been fixed for scholarship while an amount of Rs81.5 million will be spent on buildings and structures while Rs590,000 will be used for purchasing technical equipment. Rs542 million will be spent on purchasing new transport for police.

Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said the Punjab government is keen to eradicate terrorism from and for that a comprehensive plan has been finalized. He told that according to the plan a command and control system, at the Qurban Police lines will be installed while more personnel will be hired for the Elite police. He also announced that the government has earmarked Rs5 billion for fighting terrorism in the country and a 1500 personnel strong force has been formed for the purpose.

Prisons

Similarly, the Punjab government has allocated Rs7.36 billion for the Punjab prisons department out of which, Rs3.92 billion has been allocated for salaries and Rs3.43 billion for other expenditures for the department.

Rs79.074 million have been fixed for direction, Rs3.55 billion have been allocated for central jails,

Rs3.56 billion has been fixed for district jail, Rs69.39 million has been fixed for lockups, while Rs81.45 million has been allocated for construction work at central jails, Rs1.3 million has been fixed for construction work at district jails, Rs5.6 million has been fixed for works. An amount of Rs2.5 million will be spent on purchasing new transport and Rs6.16 million will be spent on building and structure.