Centre Tells SC Proposal for Police Modernisation Scheme Awaiting Finance Ministry Approval

NEW DELHI, Aug 5: The Centre on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that a proposal seeking in-principle approval for an umbrella scheme to modernise police forces across the country has been submitted to the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance and is currently under consideration. Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakare told a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the proposal was forwarded on July 8. “On July 8, a proposal has been sent to the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, for in-principle approval of the umbrella scheme for modernisation of police forces. It is under consideration,” Thakare told the court. The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of petitions, including a suo motu case concerning the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations across the country. The Centre also informed the court that the existing funding scheme for installation of CCTV cameras in police stations has been extended till March 31, 2027. The Bench directed the Centre to place the proposed umbrella scheme on record, granted two weeks’ time to file additional documents, and posted the matter for further hearing on September 1. During the previous hearing on July 22, the apex court observed that progress in the installation of CCTV cameras had taken a positive turn. Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, appointed as amicus curiae, had informed the court that substantial progress had been made by states and Union Territories. The court had identified two key issues requiring attention — the continuation of the funding scheme for CCTV installation and the maintenance of already installed surveillance systems. Earlier, on May 13, the amicus informed the Bench that most states were moving in the right direction and had made significant progress in installing CCTV cameras in police stations. The issue of utilisation of central funds by states for CCTV installation had also come up during earlier proceedings. The Centre informed the court that it provides 100 per cent funding for Union Territories, 90 per cent for hilly states, and 60 per cent for other states, with the remaining 40 per cent contributed by the respective state governments. The Supreme Court had initiated the suo motu proceedings after taking cognisance of a media report highlighting the absence of functional CCTV cameras in police stations. In 2018, the apex court directed installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations to curb human rights violations and improve accountability. SouthAsians & Diaspora In December 2020, the court further expanded its directions, ordering the installation of CCTV cameras and recording equipment at the offices of central investigative agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The court also mandated that CCTV systems be installed at all entry and exit points, lock-ups, corridors, reception areas and other critical locations within police stations. It directed that the systems should be equipped with night vision, audio-video recording capability, and storage capacity to preserve footage for at least one year.