Aiming for financial autonomy at police station level, the Sindh government will create cost centres or Drawing and Disbursement Offices (DDOs) in all police stations of the province in the new financial year. In his budget speech in the Sindh Assembly, Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah informed the legislative house that the step would help in improving conditions at police stations; eliminate extortionist ‘Thana’ culture; enhance accountability and responsibility for creating a better law and order situation and giving relief to the public. “In the 2011-12 Budget, new cost centres (DDOs) at police station level are being created in the first phase and in the next phase all 692 offices of sub-divisional police officers and police stations in Sindh will be provided a separate budget by splitting the existing cost centres,” said Shah. He added that this initiative will place funds for establishment, POL, repair and maintenance, uniform, feeding charges, drugs and medicines and purchase of stationary at the disposal of police stations. The finance minister also said that the government has increased allocation for judiciary from Rs 2.49 billion in the current year to Rs 3.38 billion in the next financial year with an increase of 35 percent. He added that the increased expenditure will be incurred on creation of 190 new posts and the purchase of transport for judicial officers.
