Srinagar, Oct 22: Jammu and Kashmir administration has directed all the administrative departments to submit budget estimates of security related expenditure (SRE) for adoption by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
J&K’s Finance Department has written to all the departments to furnish Revised Estimates 2021-22 and Budget Estimates 2022-23 against SRE (Police) and SRE (R&R) for adoption by the MHA.
“The undersigned is directed to refer FD-BDGTOGEN/23/2021-03-FINANCE DEPARTMENT dated 21 September 2021 regarding the subject cited above wherein it was requested to furnish Revised Estimates 2021-22 and Budget Estimates 2022-23 against SRE (Police) and SRE (R&R) for adoption by MHA in their demand as per the devised format,” an order issued here reads. “In this connection, it is once again requested to furnish the required information immediately enabling this department to forward the same to MHA, Government of India.”
Security-related expenditure (Police) was introduced in 1989-90 for supporting the logistical requirements of the Police force of J&K to combat militancy in the erstwhile state.
It provides for 100 percent reimbursement of expenditure of which 60 percent is reimbursed upfront on the receipt of claims and the remaining 40 percent is released after receipt of audit reports.
It broadly covers carriage of constabulary, logistic support for security forces, honorarium of SPOs, IR battalions, civic action plan for J&K Police, and creation and upgradation of infrastructure.
Security-related expenditure (Relief and Rehabilitation) was introduced in 1989-90 for supporting the relief and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrants who had migrated from Kashmir during the militancy period besides other relief and rehabilitation measures.
Jammu and Kashmir has received the highest-ever annual security-related expenditure of Rs 1267 crore compared to the last year.
Moreover, the Centre has released Rs 9000 crore alone for J&K under the SRE component since the scheme was launched in 1989.
The figures reveal that during 2018-19, the Centre allotted Rs 650 crore to J&K under the SRE scheme.
In 2017-18, the figure was Rs 628 crore and in 2016-2017, the amount released by the Centre was Rs 750 crore.
Since the scheme was launched in 1989, the Government of India has released almost Rs 9000 crore alone for J&K’s security-related expenditure.
The money disbursed by the Centre to the J&K government as “security expenditure” got doubled compared to the 2018-19 figure (financial year) as Kashmir witnessed over three-month long spontaneous shutdown coupled with stringent curbs even though there was no major law and order situation despite the fact that over 300 protests were reported across Kashmir.