CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has increased the monthly contingency fund for police stations to meet routine operational expenses, raising the allocation for light police stations from Rs 3,750 to Rs 30,000, medium stations from Rs 6,000 to Rs 40,000 and heavy stations from Rs 8,250 to Rs 50,000. The step is seen a measure to reduce corrupt practices at the police station level.
The police department officials had earlier also pointed out that insufficient contingency funds had been force police stations to depend on complainants, victims, petitioners or members of the public to meet routine expenses. The enhancement is intended to eliminate such practices of collection of money from the public and ensure that operational expenses are met through government funds.
The orders were issued by the Home Department through a Government Order dated October 21, 2026, following an announcement made by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay during the Assembly debate on the Police Demand for Grants for 2026-27.
The enhanced allocations cover 1,169 light police stations, including all-women police stations and traffic police stations; 353 medium police stations; and 395 heavy police stations, including Metro-1 and Metro-2 police stations.
The government has sanctioned Rs 71.01 crore towards the additional annual expenditure arising from the enhancement of the contingency fund.
According to the order, the existing allocations were inadequate to meet rising costs of stationery and other essential consumables required for the day-to-day functioning of police stations.
The government order also lists several special units with police station powers, including the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Q Branch, Cyber Crime Police Stations, Coastal Security Group, Idol Wing, Organised Crime Intelligence Unit and Special Division. At present these units do not receive any contingency funds.
However, the government has asked the Director General of Police to submit a separate proposal for sanctioning contingency funds of Rs. 30,000 to these special units for further consideration.