Police stations across Maharashtra will now get an 'investigation fund' that will cover expenses such as paying to a source for sharing of information, buying a shroud for a corpse, and hiring a cab in case of urgency among other things. Until now, these expenses were incurred by the police on their own or by seeking help from local NGOs or social workers.
The fund is expected to range between Rs50,000 to Rs1.5 lakh, depending on the size and jurisdiction of the police station concerned. However, the home department has already cleared an amount of Rs25 crore (approx) from its annual budget for the purpose.
"The proposal has received in-principle approval from the home secretary and the money should be released in the next 10 days," said BK Upadhaya, principal secretary, home (law and order).
The fund will be handed over to the DG, who will allocate it to police commissioners for distribution. Once the funds reach the police stations, they will be managed by the senior inspector on a day-to-day basis.
Sources in the department said the scheme was first launched in 2012 but was discontinued due to budget constraints and other priorities.
The demand for having such a fund has been long pending. On many instances, policemen have to spend from there own pocket to arrange for shrouds in an accidental death case and other such items. There have also been cases when the dead body was left unattended for hours, waiting for an NGO or a social worker to make the necessary arrangements.
