Maintaining that the Central share for modernising the police force in Tamil Nadu has come down significantly, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday urged the Central government to come out with a re-worked national plan for modernisation of State police forces and substantially step up the allocation of funds to the States.
In her speech read out by Municipal Administration Minister K P Munusamy at the National Integration Council meeting held at New Delhi, Jayalalithaa pointed out that the release of funds by the Centre under the Police Modernisation Scheme to Tamil Nadu had come down drastically in 2012-13.
Jayalalithaa said she was disappointed to note that the Central share in the scheme of modernisation, which was 75 per cent, had been brought down to 60 per cent. In this connection, she said a strong, efficient, well equipped and disciplined police force was the only answer to meeting the challenges posed by anti-social elements who try to disrupt law and order.
Realising the imperative need to improve the staffing, infrastructure, mobility and weaponry of the police force, her government had sanctioned substantially enhanced allocations, she recalled. The Chief Ministers of the States were keenly aware of the need for modernisation of the police force, strengthening the Intelligence machinery and developing police training infrastructure.
“All the Chief Ministers would also agree, mainly, it is financial constraints that stand in the way of the efforts of State governments to modernise and upgrade the police force. I request the Union Government to substantially increase the levels of financial assistance for the modernisation of the police force,” she said.
The Chief Minister explained in detail the steps taken by her government to promote communal harmony.
“Tamil Nadu has a near perfect record of maintenance of law and order and is spoken of nationally as a haven of peace and tranquillity,” she said.