NEW DELHI: The Central government has released Rs 592 crore over the past five years to modernise police forces across states and UTs with advanced communication systems, cyber forensic tools and integrated command centres.
The disclosure was made by Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
Under the “Assistance to States and Union Territories for Modernisation of Police (ASUMP)” scheme, funds have been released to help states strengthen police infrastructure at the cutting-edge level, particularly at the police station level, the minister said.
He further said that the budget estimate for the scheme stood at Rs 620.45 crore in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, though actual utilisation remained significantly lower. Against a revised estimate of Rs 188 crore in 2021-22, states utilised Rs 158.57 crore, while utilisation dropped sharply to Rs 36.69 crore in 2022-23 against a revised estimate of Rs 150.52 crore.
Utilisation recovered to Rs 52.30 crore in 2023-24 and rose further to Rs 117.15 crore in 2024-25. In the current financial year 2025-26, Rs 227.43 crore has already been released or sanctioned as of February 24, 2026, against a budget estimate of Rs 540 crore.
The scheme covers a wide range of modernisation initiatives. States and UTs have been upgrading their communication networks through POLNET Fly Away Terminals — satellite-based systems designed to ensure connectivity even in remote or disaster-hit areas.
Integrated Command and Control Centres with the latest equipment are being set up to improve response time during emergencies and law and order situations.
Forces are also being equipped with advanced weaponry and upgraded forensic capabilities, including digital forensic kits and advanced cyber forensic tools to tackle the growing challenge of cybercrime.
The minister clarified that while the Centre plays a supplementary role, “Police” and “Public Order” are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, making it primarily the responsibility of state governments to assess policing efficiency and crime detection within their jurisdictions.
“The Centre supplements State and UT efforts through the ASUMP scheme, which helps states strengthen police infrastructure at the cutting-edge level by equipping police stations with modern technology,” Rai said.