Govt. reduces charges for deployment of CAPFs in states

New Delhi, Oct 11 (PTI): The Centre has substantially reduced the charges for the states for deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for various law and order duties, including communal tensions and insurgency-related violence, home ministry officials said on Friday. According to the revised rates, a general category state will have to pay INR 13.7 crore annually to the central government for deployment of a seven-company battalion during financial year 2019-20, excluding the actual cost of transportation and movement of the forces. The charge was INR 52.40 crore during 2018-19. A CAPF company comprises about 100 personnel. The charges for the deployment of the same number of troops in general category states for financial year 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 would be INR 15.40 crore, INR 17.36 crore, INR 19.65 crore and INR 22.30 crore, respectively, a home ministry official said. From financial year 2014-15 to 2017-18, the amount was fixed with an annual increase of five per cent. The deployment charges for financial year 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 were INR 43.10 crore, INR 45.26 crore, INR 47.52 crore and INR 49.90 crore, respectively. The amount recoverable per annum for deployment of one CAPF battalion in high risk and high hardships areas will be INR 34.26 crore (2019-20), INR 35.96 crore (2020-21), INR 37.93 crore (2021-22), INR 40.21 crore (2022-23) and INR 42.86 crore (2023-24). Amount recoverable per annum for one CAPF battalion deployed in high risk and moderate hardships areas will be INR 25.18 (2019-20), INR 26.88 crore (2020-21), INR 28.85 crore (2021-22), INR 31.13 crore (2022-23) and INR 33.78 crore (2023-24), the official said. There was no categorisation of high risk, high hardships or moderate hardships between 2014-15 and 2018-19. The revised charges were communicated to the state governments by the Union Home Ministry recently. The new rates will be applicable with effect from financial year 2019-20. Union Territories (UT) without legislatures will be exempted from payment of the deployment charges. The states and the UTs are required to bear the cost of suitable and adequate accommodation and allied facilities such as water, power supply etc. for the CAPF contingents deployed. Such costs will not be reimbursed by the central government. The payments received from the borrowing states and UTs within 90 days from the date of claim shall get a rebate of 5 per cent and a delay would attract a cumulative quarterly penalty at the rate of 2.5 per cent, another official said. The north-eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Left Wing Extremism-affected states will pay only 10 per cent of the deployment charges.