Budget 2024: MHA gets Rs 2.19 trn; major chunk for CRPF, BSF, CISF

The Union Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday allocated Rs 2,19,643.31 crore to the Ministry of Home Affairs with the majority of it -- Rs 1,43,275.90 crore -- being given to central police forces like the CRPF, BSF, and CISF which are responsible for internal security, border guarding, and security of vital installations.

The interim budget 2024-25 had allocated Rs 2,02,868.70 crore to the home ministry, helmed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated Rs 42,277.74 crore to Jammu and Kashmir which is currently under the direct control of the central government after the abrogation of Article 370.

Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its special status in August 2019 and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories.

In the budget, Rs 5,985.82 crore has been given to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Rs 5,862.62 crore to Chandigarh, Rs 5,958 crore to Ladakh, Rs 2,648.97 crore to Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Rs 1,490.10 crore to Lakshadweep.

The budget also allocated Rs 1,309.46 crore (Rs 578.29 crore in 2023-24) towards work related to census and Rs 1,606.95 crore to the National Disaster Response Force (Rs 1,666.38 crore in 2023-24).

Among the paramilitary forces, the CRPF got Rs 31,543.20 crore, up from a revised estimate of Rs 31,389.04 in 2023-24, the BSF got Rs 25,472.44 crore (Rs 25,038.68 crore in 2023-24), the CISF was allotted Rs 14,331.89 crore (Rs 12,929.85 crore in 2023-24), the ITBP got Rs 8,634.21 crore (Rs 8,203.68 crore in 2023-24), the SSB was given Rs 8,881.81 crore (Rs 8,435.68 crore in 2023-24) and the Assam Rifles was allotted Rs 7,428.33 crore (Rs 7,276.29 crore in 2023-24).

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is mostly deployed for internal security duties, operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Naxals in central and eastern India and the insurgents in the Northeast.

The Border Security Force (BSF) guards India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh and it is also deployed for internal security duties.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) guards vital installations like nuclear plants, airports, and metro networks.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) guards the Sino-Indian border, the Shashastra Seema Bal (SSB) guards the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders, while the Assam Rifles protects India's border with Myanmar.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been allocated Rs 3,823.83 crore (Rs 3,268.94 crore in 2023-24), the Delhi Police got Rs 11,180.33 crore (Rs 11,940.33 crore in 2023-24), the Special Protection Group got Rs 506.32 crore (Rs 446.82 crore in 2023-24).

The IB is India's internal intelligence agency, the Delhi Police guards the national capital and the SPG provides security to the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Rs 3,756.51 crore has been allocated to the Border Infrastructure and Management, Rs 3,152.36 crore has been given for developing police infrastructure, Rs 1,105 crore for schemes related to women's safety, Rs 9,305.43 crore for various central sector projects and schemes sponsored by the home ministry, Rs 3,199.62 crore for security-related expenditure and Rs 1,050 crore for Vibrant Villages Programme.

The budget allotted Rs 1,248.91 crore to the Cabinet under which the expenditure on the council of ministers, cabinet secretariat, Prime Minister's Office, hospitality and entertainment of the government comes while Rs 6,458 crore has been given for disaster management, relief and rehabilitation and grants-in-air to state governments among others.

The Safe City Project has been allotted Rs 214.44 crore, the National Forensic Science University got Rs 80 crore and the Rashtriya Raksha University has been given Rs 90 crore.