KARACHI (HRNW) The Sindh government on Friday presented a Rs3.056 trillion provincial budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, increasing the police budget by 30.2 percent as compared to the last year, media reported.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who also holds the finance portfolio unveiled the budget on the provincial assembly floor. He said that the budget of the police department has been proposed at Rs.163.9 billion, after a surge of 30.2 percent as compared to the fiscal year 2032-24.
CM Murad Ali Shah said that Rs. 3,744.920 million has been allocated for 485 Police Stations to strengthen the police department at the police station level.
Rs 1,800 million for the purchase of arms, ammunition
The chief minister said that Rs 1,800 million is earmarked for the purchase of arms and ammunition and Rs 200 million for anti-riots equipment for the police department.
“The Government of Sindh is working on health insurance coverage for the police force for which Rs 4,962.0 million are allocated to motivate the field force of Sindh police for effective response in the line of duty,” the budget document read.
It added the Sindh government also allocated millions of rupees for DNA Testing facilities at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) and Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro.
Shuhada Package
The Sindh government also announced Shuhada Package for families of martyred cops. The chief minister said that 2,481 police personnel sacrificed their lives for their beloved land and embraced martyrdom. “In the year 2023 only, 36 police personnel embraced Shahadat. In order to support the families of the Shaheed police personnel, “Special Shuhada Package” has been introduced,” he added.
CM Murad Ali Shah said that Rs 10 million compensation would be given to the family of the cop martyred in in bomb blast, encounter, target killing, watch and ward duties, and terrorist activities. The Sindh government also announced compensation for the families of those cops who lost their lives in road accidents in the line of duty.
The chief minister said that the government has set aside Rs519 billion for education and Rs334 bn for the health sector in the budget 2024-25.
Likewise, the provincial government has allocated 56 billion for the transport sector in budget 2024-25 and Rs302 billion for the local government.