CAG flags shortages in rifles and communication equipment, exposing gaps in Nagaland police modernisation and delayed implementation of MPF scheme.
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DIMAPUR — Nagaland’s police modernisation efforts have fallen short of targets, with significant gaps in arms and communication equipment flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), raising concerns over the effective implementation of the Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) scheme.
The report, tabled in the state Assembly during the recent budget session, pointed to shortages of at least 1,000 rifles, 777 digital static sets (DSS) and 3,090 digital handheld sets (DHS) in the state Police department, indicating that critical infrastructure gaps persist despite years of investment.
The MPF scheme, approved by the government of India in September 2017 for the period 2017–20 and later extended till 2025–26, aims to strengthen state police forces by upgrading infrastructure, weaponry, mobility, communication systems and forensic capabilities.
The scheme also seeks to reduce dependence on the Army and Central Armed Police Forces for internal security by enhancing state-level preparedness.
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According to the audit, the state Police department procured training and equipment worth INR 9.65 crore between 2017–18 and 2022–23. However, utilisation remained a concern: of the 561 rifles procured during the period, only 156 were distributed, while 405 remained unutilised in stock.
The audit also flagged that 6,794 obsolete .303 rifles, already declared outdated, were still retained by field units, raising questions over operational efficiency and safety.
In terms of communication infrastructure, the department was found to have only 110 DSS and 538 DHS against requirements of 887 and 3,628 respectively. Although 180 DSS and 580 DHS were procured, equipment worth INR 1.79 crore procured during 2019–20 remained undistributed due to procedural delays, as it was not initially allotted to the nodal unit for deployment.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), in its review, urged the department to expedite the phasing out of obsolete arms and ensure timely implementation of modernisation measures to enhance operational capability.
In its response, the state government informed that steps have been initiated to replace vintage .303 rifles with more advanced weaponry. It also clarified that the unutilised rifles would be issued once older arms are deposited by field units, while some would be retained as reserve stock.
The government further informed that the communication equipment procured earlier has since been issued after completion of documentation.
However, it attributed delays in modernisation to late release of funds, which affected procurement of vehicles, weapons and communication systems.
Despite these assurances, the CAG maintained that the persistent shortfall in critical equipment indicates that Nagaland has yet to fully achieve the objectives of the MPF scheme, underscoring the need for faster and more effective implementation.