TN cops (representational image) attribute a decline in crime in 2024 to proactive measures: special drives during weekends and festivals, intensified prosecution of rowdies and 4,572 preventive detentions under the Goondas Act. Image on right shows the TN Director General of Police's office in Chennai. Images: iStock/Facebook
Fall in central funds leaves TN police missing out on critical modern tools
Parliament data says TN police failed to submit utilisation certificate to unlock disbursements; all issues resolved, funds set to come in soon, insists DGP
Tamil Nadu police, famous for cracking some high-profile cases and considered among the finest in the nation, is facing a major funding crunch. And, directly impacted by the dearth of funds is the police force's modernisation programme. The effect is palpable on the ground.
The numbers speak for themselves. Between financial years 2020-21 and 2024-25, over ₹111 crore in funding was sanctioned for Tamil Nadu for a key programme: The Assistance to States & UTs for Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) Scheme. The central scheme aims to equip state police forces with modern technology, weaponry, and infrastructure.
What is shocking is that just ₹54 lakh was actually disbursed to the state.
This was revealed in data submitted in the Lok Sabha on April 1, by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was replying to unstarred question No 4862. Further, Tamil Nadu’s usage of MPF funds is the lowest compared to other states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Reason for delay
The Lok Sabha reply suggested that Tamil Nadu police has not submitted a utilisation certificate (UC), which is mandatory to unlock further disbursements after the ₹54 lakh that was released in 2022-23. This has led to 99.51 per cent of the allocated funds not getting disbursed, stalling critical upgrades at a time when modern policing tools are more essential than ever.
The impact is notable on the ground. In a small police station in rural Madurai, sub-inspector R Karthik (name changed), a 15-year veteran, voiced his frustration. “We’re doing our best with what we have, but our equipment is outdated. We don’t have proper surveillance systems or enough vehicles to respond quickly," he told The Federal.
His station, like many across Tamil Nadu, lacks the tools the MPF funds were intended to provide, which could bolster crime prevention.
APCO project
But it the lack of funds is apparently not just about the non-filing of UCs. A senior police officer with the Tamil Nadu police department, who requested anonymity, told The Federal the reason for the fund cut is a huge delay in implementing an APCO (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials) project, meant to modernise police control rooms and install CCTVs in Chennai.
"The APCO implementation contract, awarded to a single bidder in July 2017 for ₹83.46 crore, saw the contractor complete equipment installation after a seven-month delay, costing ₹66.12 crore. However, the field test remained unfinished until July 2021, by which time the equipment crossed its expiry date and became obsolete," he said.
He cited another issue. "The CCTV control room equipment were procured in 2015 at a cost of ₹14.37 crore. The contractor claimed that he could not resolve an issue with the spectrum coverage. Meanwhile, violating the tender terms with the contractor, our department paid ₹7.18 crore towards spectrum charges. According to the terms, the contractor should have paid the amount," he told The Federal.
Further, he said, the delay in completing the projects on time and failure to complete the audit in time led to the MPF funds getting stalled. "The pending status of work allocated in the previous year and non-submission of the UC to the Centre are the real reasons for the fund allocation to stop," revealed the police officer.
DGP's response
Meanwhile, in response to queries from The Federal, Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police (DGP) refuted claims of fund mismanagement.
“It is incorrect to say that ₹111 crore allocated since 2020-21 was not utilised or that utilisation certificates were not furnished,” said a statement from the office of Shankar Jiwal, IPS. He clarified that the ₹55 lakh sanctioned in 2022-23 under the Home Minister’s contingency fund for the Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) has seen progress, with tenders finalised and supply orders issued.
On the MPF scheme, he asserted that issues flagged four years ago over alleged irregularities have been resolved following consultations with the MHA.
"For the Mega City Project, out of its ₹98.18 crore allocation, ₹73.28 crore has been utilised and a utilisation certificate submitted," the DGP told The Federal. "It has ₹24.90 crore reserved for recurring costs until 2027. The ₹49.15 crore APCO project faced delays due to technical issues, leading to arbitration and a sub-judice case in the Madras High Court; an alternative proposal for ₹31.08 crore to procure special-purpose vehicles is underway, with further plans pending approval."
'All issues resolved'
He added: "For the ₹79.89 crore DMR project, ₹39.26 crore is for the supply order, with ₹5.88 crore spent; ₹16.73 crore is for tendering, and ₹18.02 crore is earmarked for savings redirected to an alternative proposal. Combined with Mega City savings, ₹33.81 crore is approved for special-purpose vehicles, with tenders in progress, ensuring most funds will be utilised soon."
The DGP also said that after discussions with MHA, all issues have been resolved as of now, with ₹80 crore already disbursed and an additional ₹150 crore slated to be released soon.
Also, the DGP said, the savings from these projects, totaling ₹82.94 crore, are being reinvested, with tenders for special-purpose vehicles already in motion.
Ground reality vs official claims
Despite the DGP’s assurances, officers like Karthik paint a different picture. “We hear about funds and projects, but on the ground, we’re still waiting for the upgrades,” he said.
The DGP countered this narrative, insisting Tamil Nadu police is “at the forefront of technology".
He cited a doubling of CCTV cameras in public places over the past four years, ongoing procurement of security gadgets like metal detectors, and plans to add 700 vehicles to the fleet by June 2025, including 300 for the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS).
On the crime reduction front, the DGP attributed the 2024 decline to proactive measures: special drives during weekends and festivals, intensified prosecution of rowdies (150 convictions with life or over 10-year terms), and 4,572 preventive detentions under the Goondas Act.
For property crimes, initiatives like the Drive Against Crime Offenders (DACO), night patrols, and expanded CCTV coverage have yielded results, he said.
“Murders peaked at 1,745 in 2019 but dropped to 1,563 in 2024,” he noted, underscoring a steady decline since 2020.
Sustainability and emerging threats
With cybercrime on the rise, the perceived lack of modern resources raises concerns.
The DGP acknowledged the challenge: “Criminals today are tech-savvy, and we need advanced surveillance, forensic tools, and dedicated cybercrime units.”
He stressed a blend of traditional policing – beats, patrols, and human intelligence – with digital investments as key to sustaining progress. However, manpower shortages remain a hurdle, with officers juggling law-and-order duties alongside crime prevention.
Women constables, too, feel the pinch of unutilised funds. Constable Meena (name changed) from Coimbatore lamented, “We don’t have proper restrooms or support for working mothers.”
The MPF scheme supports initiatives like women’s help desks and childcare facilities, but with funds stalled, these remain elusive.
The DGP highlighted alternative efforts: one-year maternity leave, creches in police districts, and hostels for women constables in Chennai and Madurai.
Under the Nirbhaya Fund, ₹8 crore has been sanctioned for women’s help desks, with 800 laptops and two-wheelers procured and more in the pipeline.
Bureaucratic hurdles
A Chennai-based policy analyst attributes the funding bottleneck to “poor coordination between state departments and a lack of accountability”.
The DGP dismissed this allegation, insisting delays stemmed from arbitration, not administrative lapses. The Centre’s shift to the SNA-SPARSH real-time fund transfer system in 2024-25 has also added to the problems, with Tamil Nadu still awaiting MHA approval to commence transactions, as per a letter sent on February 10, 2025.
Compared to states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, which have utilised higher percentages of MPF funds, Tamil Nadu’s 0.49 per cent disbursement rate stands out.
However, the DGP pointed to litigation-related delays but noted that since hurdles are being cleared and alternative projects are being pursued, Tamil Nadu is bound to catch up.
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