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    Home Minister Rajnath Singh asks to revamp CRPF to fight naxals

    Synopsis

    “The Home Minister wants CRPF to achieve a state of specialization as the principal counter insurgency force,” a top Home Ministry official said.

    ET Bureau
    NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked for a revamp of the lead force against the Naxals, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). A committee consisting of two former CRPF chiefs is now being set up to give their suggestions on creating a “newly-packaged CRPF”, ET has learnt.

    The committee consisting of former CRPF Director Generals K Vijay Kumar and his predecessor AS Gill will take a comprehensive look at the structure of the CRPF in light of its duties in the left-wing extremism states and a long-pending “reorganization plan” of the force, a senior CRPF official said.

    “The Home Minister wants CRPF to achieve a state of specialization as the principal counter insurgency force,” a top Home Ministry official said. The committee is expected to go into all issues – the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to work in Naxal areas, the transfer policy in the force, the kind of weapons used by the force and ideal requirements, including kind of vehicles required by the force in Naxal areas.

    The Home Ministry is said to be of the opinion that the force needs more AK-47 rifles rather than the INSAS Rifles in Naxal-affected areas and motorcycles need to be bought in large numbers -- nearly 20 bikes for each company of 125 men – for better operational mobility of the forces as well as their safety from the weapon of choice of the Naxalites, that is landmines.

    “The committee being set up will also have a re-look at the training plan for the CRPF forces,” the official said.

    A ministry official said the role of the CRPF had become too multifarious for its own good and it must be ensured that the force concentrates solely on counter-insurgency duties. In a memorandum to the 7th Pay Commission, the CRPF had said that over the years, the range of duties, nature of deployment and operational requirements of the force have expanded phenomenally.

    “Consequently, the CRPF has been overworked and over stretched, and often utilized in ad hoc manner, also putting it under pressure to maintain combat worthiness, performance, training preparedness and organizational cohesiveness. Prolonged deployment in sensitive areas and resultant stress is affecting psychological preparedness of its personnel,” the CRPF said.

    The central force, in the memorandum to the 7th Pay Commission, also complained of “uncertain and scattered deployment”, inadequate compensation benefits for hardship and risks resulting in an “unattractive service environment” and “poor career progression resulting in staggering morale”.


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