The Delhi Police will get Rs 156.33 crore more next fiscal, with the government today allocating Rs 1581.90 crore for the force.

Announcing this in the Budget, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said Rs 42 crore is the expected plan expenditure of Delhi Police while Rs 1,539.90 crore is earmarked for non-plan expenditure.

However, the force’s allocation for constructing houses for its personnel has been slashed from this fiscal’s Rs 30 crore to Rs ten crore in the next. Rs 50 crore was earmarked in the last budget for the houses but was later revised to Rs 30 crore.

The amount earmarked for buildings for the organisation has also been cut from Rs 40 crore to Rs 25 crore. Last year, the force was provided Rs 51.75 crore, but was later revised to Rs 40 crore.

A senior Delhi Police officer said, “The money will be used for implementing development programmes and providing good working environment for the personnel.”

The Finance Minister has earmarked Rs one crore, an increase of Rs 25 lakh from last budget, for installing traffic signals.

Police said funds are needed to equip traffic personnel with latest gadgets. “Traffic needs to be given extra attention since violations on Delhi roads is very high,” said the official.

Expenditure of the force, which was earlier being met by the Delhi government, is now being borne by the Centre.

For Commonwealth Games

Finance Minister P Chidambaram allocated Rs 624 crore in 2008-09 for projects to be undertaken for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Of the total, Rs 400 crore is be utilised for the actual Games projects, including construction of stadia and other civic infrastructure such as roads and flyovers and the remaining Rs 224 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for urban reforms.

Insurance for BPL families

The Finance Minister announced the launch of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, its health insurance scheme for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the unorganised sector. The total allocation for the programme is Rs 205 crore.

State Labour department officials said the insurance policy for the poor which will be introduced on April 1, has an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore.

BUDGET ASIDE