SRINAGAR: The central government has provided Jammu and Kashmir over Rs 7500 crores under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) in last 25 years to help the state fight militancy.
“Since 1989 till December 31 last year, a sum of Rs 5021.64 crores has been reimbursed to Jammu & Kashmir Government under Security Related Expenditure (Police) [SRE-P],” reveals a report of Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
It further states that during the last financial year, Rs 286.13 crores were reimbursed to J&K under SRE (P) till December-end 2015.
After eruption of militancy in J&K in 1989, central government introduced a special budgetary provision for J&K named Security Related Expenditure (SRE) to help the state fight militancy and maintain peace and law and order.
The SRE provides for disbursement of expenditure on Police under the head SRE-Police (SRE-P), which mainly supports the logical requirements of State police force while SRE Relief and Rehabilitation (SRE-R&R) supports the expenditure on relief and rehabilitation of the migrant Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated from Valley after eruption of militancy in 1989.
According to official sources, over Rs 2500 crores have been reimbursed to J&K government under SRE (R&R) from 1989 to March last year. “Of this amount, Rs 1663.92 crores were reimbursed to J&K in respect of the relief and rehabilitation of the migrant Kashmiri Pandits”.
Under the SRE-P, the expenditure related to carriage of constabulary, material and supplies, rent and accommodation hired for security forces, border posts, honorarium to SPOs, raising of IR battalions, constructions of alternative accommodation, airlift charges, security works of police department and expenditure on detenues, etc are being covered.
Under the SRE (R&R), the monthly cash relief to migrant Kashmiri Pandits, ex-gratia relief payment and pension to widows of civilians killed in militancy related violence, scholarship to orphans affected by militancy, the expenditure towards PM's package for return and rehabilitation of migrant Pandits are reimbursed to J&K Government by the central government.
In order to streamline the flow of money under SRE from central government, J&K government had in October last year appointed Director Finance, J&K Home Department as Nodal Officer for compilation, consolidation and submission of consolidated accounts of SRE to the Union Home Ministry. The departments, who were incurring expenditure under SRE, were directed to submit their accounts to Director Finance, Home Department.