• Rs4.5bn set aside to keep an eye on Red Zone, key installations under Sindh Safe Cities Project
• Rs2.7bn for military-grade weapons to fight katcha area dacoits

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday raised law and order budget by 15pc to Rs143.568 billion for next financial year 2023-24. In the outgoing year, the allocation was Rs124.87bn.

Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah who also looked after the finance ministry in the province delivered the budget speech in the Sindh Assembly hall.

The chief minister said that this enhanced budget allocation for the home department reflected the government’s “commitment to ensuring peace and security in Sindh”.

The provincial chief executive said: “By allocating resources effectively, we aim to provide our law enforcement and security agencies with necessary tools and support to protect our province and maintain law and order.

“The Sindh government has carefully prioritised allocation of Rs143.568 billion for next financial year 2023-24 with 15% increase over last year’s allocation of Rs124.87 billion for ‘strategically significant activities’.”

One of the significant features was announcement by the provincial chief executive was the much-awaited Rs10 billion ‘Sindh safe cities project’ (Phase-I) for Karachi with a substantial allocation of Rs4.5bn for the next financial year.

Official sources familiar with this development told Dawn that this much-needed project had been delayed for considerable period, though it had been decided in the times of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif by the then apex committee.

They said that army-run National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) would implement this project under which, 10,000 cameras would be installed in the Red Zone of the metropolis and at important installations in the first phase.

Its command and control set-up would be established at Hasan Square, which would be operated by the Special Security Unit of the police.

This is the first time that a feasibility of the safe city project has been completed for the Rs10bn project out of which around Rs5 billion has been allocated in this budget to expedite the project.

The officials recalled that host of issues like technology as to what size of cameras to be procured, etc, lack of proper feasibility and fears of the then NAB had caused delay of the safe city project.

One of the good things of these proposed cameras would be that they would read number plate of vehicles, said one official.

Another important thing for forthcoming financial year was allocation of Rs2.796 billion for procurement of sophisticated field (military grade) weapons and surveillance equipment to meet challenges of growing banditry in katcha area (riverine).

“In order to better equip the Sindh police, we have allocated an amount of Rs2.796 billion in the next fiscal year for the procurement of sophisticated field (military-grade) weapons and surveillance equipment,” declared the CM.

Over Rs3bn for police vehicles

In order to enhance operational capacity of law enforcing agencies, a substantial amount of Rs3.569 billion has also been allocated for the procurement of police vehicles to serve and protect citizens, said the CM.

He said in order to strengthen specialised police departments, funds of Rs846.608 million for Special Branch and Rs868.684 million for the Counter Terrorism Department have been allocated for the fiscal year 2023-24.

Forensic Science Laboratory

The CM said in order to strengthen the justice system the Sindh government would establish ‘the Sindh Forensic Science Laboratory’ for provision of precise and timely forensic results for effective investigations.

Hence, a total of Rs134.50 million has been allocated in the next fiscal year for the project’s successful functionality and operation.

Security surveillance

An amount of Rs1.57 billion has been allocated in 2023-24 year for Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras at key transit points across Sindh for improved security and safer commutes.

Police welfare and assistance

The CM said Rs272.78 million had been kept aside for medical reimbursements for all police personnel for the current fiscal year.

For addressing problems of police trainees, Rs360 million has been proposed for Feeding Diet Charges in next financial year replacing the previous self-paid system.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2023