The latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has brought out financial irregularities to light in the budget allocation and expenditure of the Telangana Police Force. The comprehensive audit highlighted concerning trends in the allocation of funds, with particular focus on the surge in expenditure and financial practices.
As per the report, a substantial increase in allocations was done across various segments of the Telangana Police Force. Notably, the district police force witnessed a surge of ₹596 crore, while the city police force received an additional ₹266 crore. Increments were also seen in the Telangana Special Police Units (by ₹179 crore), Commissioner of Cyberabad Police (by ₹167 crore), Commissioner of Rachakonda Police (by ₹163 crore), and the Intelligence branch (by ₹105 crore).
The overall revenue expenditure for the Police Force escalated from ₹5,612 crore in 2020-21 to ₹7,240 crore in 2021-22, indicating a substantial difference of ₹1,628 crore.
The audit report scrutinised the procurement of police vehicles, revealing that the Director General of Police (DGP) of Telangana was permitted to borrow ₹500 crore through Telangana State Police Housing Corporation Limited (TSPHCL). However, discrepancies emerged as TSPHCL paid ₹328 crore to the bank using budgetary resources, contrary to the stipulated repayment through revenue accruals. The interest rate of 9% on the loan has resulted in an additional burden of ₹13 crore on the government as of March 2022.
The report also highlighted budgetary oversights, including the unspent ₹20 crore allocated for the ‘Construction of women’s toilets in police stations’ attributed to delays in identifying suitable locations.
A significant supplementary provision of 36% under various segments, primarily due to the implementation of the Pay Revision Commission, was also noted. Further, of the allocated ₹176 crore to the ‘Safe City Project for Safety of Women in Hyderabad City (Nirbhaya Fund)‘, only ₹12 crore was spent. The Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, stated that the savings in the budget for the financial year 2021-22 under the Safe City Project were revalidated and released in the financial year 2022-23.
