KARACHI: Sindh police are still awaiting NOC (no objection certificate) from federal government for the procurement of military-grade weapons and surveillance equipment required to eliminate growing menace of banditry in the riverine areas of Sukkur and Larkana police ranges, according to official sources and papers viewed by Dawn on Thursday.

Informed sources said that incidents of kidnapping for ransom in the katcha (riverine) areas of Ghotki, Sukkur, Shikarpur and Kandhkot-Kashmore have registered over113pcincrease lastyear as compared to 2022.

The provincial government had already earmarked over Rs2 billionfor the procurement of the modern arms and equipment but the funds could not be utilised mainly for want of NOC from the federal government. Therefore, the sources said, Sindh IGP Riffat Mukhtar Raja had recently taken up this issue with caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retired) Maqbool Baqar.

The provincial police chief has also raised the issue of promised allowance for over 4,000 policemen working in the riverine areas of the two police ranges with the CM.

He urged the caretaker CM to help get the NOC for the funds amounting to Rs2.776 billion for the procurement of `sophisticated field weapon and surveillance equipment`.

The official correspondence shows that the funds were allocated in the financial year 2022-23 but could not be utilised as the Ministry of Interior had not yet issued the NOC.

`These weapons are required for police operations against the dacoits in Katcha area of Sindh i.e.

district Ghotki, Sukkur, Shikarpur and Kashmore,` contented the IGP.He pointed out that the issue of NOC was still pending.

Contending that since the funds could not be carried forward, the Sindh police needed these funds to be reallocated `outside budget` through the provincial cabinet`s approval.

Regarding the issue of `katcha allowance` for the police personnel working in the highly dangerous riverine areas, the sources quoting the official correspondence said that the IGP Sindh told the CM that the provincial cabinet had on June 6 last year approved the allowance of Rs10,000 each for the 4,500 personnel. However, the Sindh police chief said, minutes of cabinet`s meeting were yet to be issued. Once the minutes were issued, the home department would take up the matter with the finance department for the release of the funds, he added.

According to the sources, IGP Riffat Raja informed the CM that the `targeted operation is under way with the help of Rangers which had resulted in 90pc decrease in the kidnapping for ransom and road robbery cases`. He said that the focused and effective approach was adopted in detecting and handling `honey-trap` cases.

The IGP was quoted as havingtold the CM that no extra-judicial measures helped police gain local people`s trust and support.

He pointed out that till Nov 26, 2023, a total of 47 persons were kidnapped for ransom in the Sukkur police range; out of them, 45 were recovered. Similarly, during thesame period, a total 137 persons were kidnapped for ransom in the Larkana division and 136 of them were recovered.

However, official sources said, recently, 13 persons were kidnapped in Shikarpur district and 15 in Kandhkot-Kashmore district.