Centre tells SC ₹24,000-crore police modernisation plan underway
Centre informs SC of ₹24,000-crore Police Modernisation Mission; court asks for continuity in CCTV funding.
The Union government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it has commenced implementation of a ₹24,000-crore umbrella scheme aimed at modernising police forces across the country over the next five years.
Additional Solicitor General Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakare, appearing for the Centre, told a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the 'Police Modernisation Mission' is designed to bolster the internal security capabilities of State police forces and Central Armed Police Forces through enhanced technological integration.
The submission came during a suo motu proceeding initiated in 2025, following a media report about non-functional CCTV cameras at police stations in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The court has been monitoring compliance with its 2021 judgment in the Paramvir Singh Saini case, which mandated CCTV installation at key locations within police stations.
Mr. Thakare noted that the proposed scheme was still awaiting financial approvals, with specific components yet to be disclosed. He assured the Bench that adequate funds would be allocated for installing CCTV cameras in police stations across States.
Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, assisting as amicus curiae, urged the court to ensure continuity of funding under the existing Assistance to States and Union Territories for Modernisation of Police (ASUMP) scheme until the new initiative takes effect. "I am only praying, before the lapse of ASUMP, if this can come in so that there is continuity," he submitted.
The Bench questioned why existing funds under ASUMP should remain idle while awaiting the new scheme. Justice Mehta remarked, "For the present, you already have funds under the ASUMP scheme. Why do you allow them to lie dormant? Let them be used for modernising the existing system."
Mr. Thakare informed the court that the Ministry had extended ASUMP until September 30, 2026, and had requested States and Union Territories to submit proposals promptly. Justice Nath, however, noted that the Centre's affidavit did not clarify whether remaining funds would be carried over to the new scheme.
Highlighting a specific concern, Mr. Dave pointed out that Jharkhand's proposal for ₹112.5 crore under ASUMP for CCTV installation had been rejected, with the State yet to install a single camera since 2020. The Centre said it had sought additional details from Jharkhand and was awaiting a response.
The court will hear the matter next on September 21.