More cops, fewer resources: Delhi Police’s budget puzzle

The Delhi Police has received a budget hike of 7% for the 2025-26 fiscal year, but a notable decline in capital expenditure raises concerns about the force’s operational efficiency.

Funds under the Capital category are meant for improving police infrastructure, including the construction of police quarters and new police stations, particularly to replace those operating in rented buildings or temporary structures.

These funds also support traffic related infrastructure and the upgrading of communication systems. While funds for salaries and personnel expenses have increased, the reduced allocation for infrastructure, technology, and surveillance may impact policing capabilities.

The reallocation highlights the trade-off between hiring more personnel and modernising facilities.

Shift in budget priorities

The Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated Rs 12,259.16 crore to the Delhi Police for 2025-26. Compared to the previous fiscal year, the Revenue section of expenditure has increased significantly.

Revenue funds are primarily used to pay the salaries of approximately 87,000 police personnel, as well as contractual employees such as multi-tasking staff (MTS), legal and financial advisors, forensic experts, and data entry operators.

According to a senior police officer, these funds also cover the procurement of office stationery, equipment, and other necessary items.

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Recruitment boost amid infrastructure constraints

The increased allocation will allow the Delhi Police to recruit more personnel, addressing shortages in crime-prone districts such as North East, Shahdara, West, Rohini, and North West. According to a senior police officer, the force has been struggling with understaffing, particularly during night shifts and high-demand situations.

“There are not enough police personnel in the district to curtail crimes happening here. The major issue comes down to the fact that each police officer operates on shifts, and sometimes there is a lapse in the number of officers functioning during a particular shift. There are also moments when there are not enough officers on duty when many have applied for leaves. This leaves us in a weaker state. Hopefully, the increased allocation will help in tackling these issues and enable the inclusion of more police officers, at least in the more junior levels,” a senior police officer said.

However, infrastructure projects—such as building new police stations, upgrading surveillance technology, and maintaining police quarters—are set to struggle with reduced capital funding.

Surveillance and technology setbacks

The cut in capital expenditure may also hinder crime surveillance efforts. “We have thousands of CCTVs installed across Delhi, but many are non-functional due to lack of resources for maintenance and upgrades,” a senior official said.

“Surveillance and security might get affected due to the decrease considering the fact that there are multiple CCTVs set up across the city but we do not have enough resources or technological know how to make them work. At this point, many of them lie dysfunctional and almost abandoned. CCTVs are but one example, even more special operations may take a hit if the Capital expenditure takes a dive. However, at this point, it is essential that we get more personnel considering the fact that Delhi’s population has been growing significantly,” a senior official said.

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Policing efficiency remains a challenge

Despite the budget increase, Delhi still faces a police-to-population ratio crisis. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the sanctioned ratio is 459.01 police personnel per one lakh people. However, the actual figure stood at just 410.26 in 2021. The new funds may help bridge this gap, but without investments in infrastructure and technology, operational challenges will persist.

With the capital budget shrinking, the challenge for Delhi Police will be to optimise resources while ensuring effective law enforcement in a rapidly growing city.