Revamp of immigration, police forces sanctioned: Chidambaram

New Delhi, Dec.1 (ANI): Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram on Tuesday said that the SFC has approved a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the revamp of the Foreigners Division of his ministry.

Presenting his end of the month report for November 2009, Chidambaram said the project would be implemented over a period of three years at an estimated cost of Rs.19.73 crore.

He also said that the government has sanctioned the Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) Scheme as follows:

4 All Terrain Vehicles at a cost of Rs.7.95 crore for the BSF.

10,147 assault rifles at a cost of Rs.144 crore for the CRPF.

1,915 Glock-17 pistols for the CRPF, ITBP, NPA, Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police.

He said that under the Police Modernisation Scheme, Rs.81.60 crore was released on November 19, 2009 to Delhi Police for FY 2009-10.

Notification for promotion of DANIPS officers of 1996 to 2004 batches to Junior Administrative Grade-I was issued on November 23, 2009, he added.

The minister said that the annual batch-size of the IPS was fixed at 130 starting from the Civil Services Examination - 2008.

Offers of appointment to 125 successful candidates were issued, with the remaining 5 being under process.

Given the shortage of IPS officers at the SP-level in most State cadres and taking into account the average attrition rate, it was decided that from the Civil Services Examination - 2009 onwards, the annual batch-size would be increased from 130 to 150.

Of the 26 ADGP posts at the Centre, nine posts are vacant and seven posts are likely to fall vacant due to superannuation and promotion by 31 March, 2010, he said.

Against 16 vacancies, only one officer is available on the offer list (out of the list of 32 ADGP-empanelled officers). In order to increase the size of the pool of available officers, 61 IPS officers of the 1977 and earlier batches were empanelled on November 21, 2009 to hold ADGP-level posts, Chidambaram said.

On the civil defence front, he said that a Rs.100 crore scheme for revamping the civil defence set-up in India was approved for the XIth Five Year Plan.

The existing scheme, he said, envisages upgradation of training institutes, equipment purchase and a pilot project for involving Civil Defence in Internal Security and law and order management.

Of the Rs.15 crore sanctioned for this year, Rs.11.87 crore was released on November 15, 2009 to the concerned State Governments.

He also said that 6,271 new civil defence volunteers have enrolled and 4,220 inactive and unfit volunteers weeded out.

The Center-State MoU for the CCTNS project has been signed by all 35 States/UTs. An amount of Rs.42.38 crore has been released to 20 States, he added. (ANI)