Govt to withdraw 6 CRPF bns from J&K

KL Desk

Srinagar

Union Home Ministry has asked the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to deploy six additional battalions in naxal-violence hit areas after withdrawing them from Jammu and Kashmir, while as other four units will be picked up from the regular training contingents.

According to sources, New Delhi  has decided to deploy nearly 10,000 CRPF personnel for anti-naxal operations in Maoist-affected States.

CRPF, which is the mainstay for anti-Maoist operations, has already deployed 75,000 personnel for the purpose apart from few battalions of other central forces like BSF and ITBP.

The force has initiated the process and the final inductions will take place in a phased manner, sources said.

Currently, 65 battalions of CRPF are deployed in Jammu and Kashmir.

CRPF chief Pranay Sahay, who took over the charge of the largest paramilitary a fortnight back, said the force will work to bring more areas into the mainstream which are considered liberated zones and have no presence of Government machinery.

“The challenge for us is to work in the areas which are Naxal strongholds. We have identified a number of them and we are working to establish the governments presence in these areas,” Sahay said while interacting with journalists during the annual press conference in Delhi.

About the casualties due to IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blasts, Sahay said it is a “big challenge” for the personnel and the force is procuring gadgets to counter these deadly traps in Naxal areas.

“Deaths due to IEDs are a big challenge for us…Two-third of our personnel deployed in Naxal-hit areas are dying because of this reason,” he said.

The CRPF chief said they are also probing incidents of procurement of close to 50,000 faulty grenades, which led to the death of few troopers during training.

“The grenades had a technical mistake…We have sent them back to the Ordnance factory where they were procured from,” he said.

The force, according to the DG, has also asked for the Home Ministry’s approval to hire two helicopters to ferry troops and rations in Naxal-affected States.