GUWAHATI, Oct 9 - With the improvement of the overall law and order situation in the North East region, the security related expenditure in this part of the country has been coming down in the last few years and it is expected to come down further by the end of the current financial year.
The Government of India has been implementing a scheme for reimbursement of security related expenditure for the states seriously affected by insurgency since 1995 and in the North East, the scheme is being implemented in all the states except Mizoram and Sikkim.
According to records available, in the year 2017-18, the security related expenditures reimbursed by the Centre to the states of North East was Rs 405 crore, of which, Assam got the highest amount of Rs 287 crore, followed by Manipur with Rs 34 crore. Though Arunachal Pradesh is relatively a peaceful state, militant groups from other states are creating problems in the districts like Tirap, Changlang and Longding, forcing the Government of India to declare the three districts as Disturbed Area. Because of the activities of militants in these three districts, the State had to spend substantial amounts to deal with the situation and in the year 2017-18, Arunachal Pradesh received more than Rs 32 crore as reimbursement of security related expenditure.
The amount spent as security related expenditure in the region came down to Rs 250 crore in the last financial year and Assam again received the highest amount of Rs 137 crore, followed by Nagaland with Rs 42 crore and Manipur with Rs 32 crore.
The Centre has earmarked Rs 195 crore for reimbursement of security related expenditure to the North East states for the current financial year.
Under the scheme, the funds are shared between Centre and State in the ratio of 90:10 and expenditure incurred by NE States on various security related items, including raising of India Reserve Battalions, logistics provided to the Central forces and Army deployed in the State, ex-gratia grant and gratuitous relief to the victims of extremist violence, 75 per cent of the expenditure incurred on POL (petrol, oil and lubricants) in operations, 100 per cent ex-gratia to next of kin of police personnel killed in counter insurgency operations, honorarium paid to Village Guards/Village Defence Committees/Home Guards deployed for security purposes, expenditure incurred on maintenance of designated camps set up for groups with whom the Central Government, State Governments have entered into agreement for Suspension of Operations and expenditure incurred on surrendered militants and their rehabilitation is being reimbursed.
