The budget for relief and rehabilitation of immigrants and repatriates has been set at Rs 5397.2 crore for 2024-25. (Ministry of Public Transport)
Central assistance to the Union Territory of J&K has been increased by 30%. The government will allocate Rs 40,619.3 billion to J&K in 2024-25, up from Rs 33,923 million in 2023-24
The Center will focus on supporting displaced communities, including Sri Lankan refugees, Tibetan settlements and rehabilitation of erstwhile West and East Pakistan, through rehabilitation and relief efforts for migrants and repatriates, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Tuesday while allocating Rs. to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The budget for relief and rehabilitation of immigrants and repatriates has been set at Rs 5,397.2 crore for 2024-25, a significant increase from the Rs 30,161 crore allocated in 2023-24. The increased funding will support several key initiatives, including the rehabilitation of Sri Lankan refugees, the management of refugee settlements in Tibet and former West and East Pakistan, and the states of Tripura, Assam, Mizoram and Manipur Relief work in northeastern states such as the state.
Importantly, the government has overhauled the Indian judicial system by introducing three new laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. Funding has been significantly increased threefold from Rs 442.17 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 1,348.35 crore in 2024-25.
Budget allocations increased for Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Central Detective Training School, National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, Northeast Police Academy, Central Police Training Academy, Directorate of Police Research and Development and Medical Sciences, Hyderabad graduate School. Funding allocations will also be used for BPR&D programmes, including training interventions, research and development projects to improve efficiency and the National Coastal Policing Academy.
While the census is still awaited, the Census, Survey and Statistics budget of the Registrar General of India (RGI) has been reduced to Rs 1,309.46 crore in 2024-25 from Rs 1,564.65 crore in the previous year. The fund is used for the operations of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, including the ongoing National Population Register (NPR) work and completion of the 2021 Census, which is critical for demographic analysis and policy planning.
Johnson & Johnson aid fund increases
Central assistance to the Union Territory of J&K has been increased by 30%. The government will allocate Rs 40,619.3 billion to J&K in 2024-25, up from Rs 33,923 million in 2023-24.
CISF increases parliamentary security budget
The budget allocation for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been increased by nearly Rs 900 crore from Rs 13,214.68 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 14,331.89 crore in 2024-25. The CISF was recently tasked with protecting Parliament after the responsibilities of the CRPF and Delhi Police were shifted following last year's security breach. The CISF is now the sole force responsible for security in Parliament. Besides, funding for the BSF aviation wing, which includes aircraft, riverboat and helicopter bases, has also been increased from Rs 78 crore to Rs 164 crore. There has been hardly any significant change in the funds allocated to CRPF, BSF and ITBP.
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