New Delhi: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has deferred all transfer and posting orders and has postponed training courses for its personnel in view of the escalating military situation with Pakistan, official sources Friday said.
The paramilitary force has also directed more than two dozen of its companies, comprising about 2,400 personnel, to be moved to Jammu and Kashmir for “bolstering” security of the border areas along with the BSF and the Army, they said.
The headquarters of the force, sources told PTI, has ordered that all transfer and posting orders be kept in “abeyance” and officers and personnel be present in their place of posting in view of the emerging security situation along the western and northern front of the country.
The CRPF has also postponed till June a number of scheduled training programmes to be held for the troops and the officers have issued directions that the manpower be “retained” at their place of deployment for any possible exigency and avoid unnecessary travel, they said.
The Union Home Ministry has already asked the CRPF and other central armed police forces (CAPFs) like the BSF, CISF, ITBP and SSB to cancel all leaves and ensure “maximum” availability of troops in view of the escalation of the military offensive against Pakistan.
The top brass of the force, including CRPF Director General (DG) G P Singh, who are presently camping in Chhattisgarh continuously for about 20 days, are also expected to travel to Jammu and Kashmir, which is one of the three main combat theatres for the force.
The two other domains for its operations are anti-Naxal duties in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states and counter-insurgency tasks in the northeast.
The CRPF DG is based in Chhattisgarh’s capital, Raipur, to monitor the biggest-ever anti-Naxal operation being undertaken along the border with Telangana since April 21, as per the officials.
“The DG is soon expected to travel to Jammu and Kashmir and review the operations and deployment of the force. He is also expected to meet the Army Commanders and top police and administration officials,” they said.
The CRPF has about 65 battalions comprising about 65,000-66,000 personnel in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-terrorism duties and law and order assistance to the local police.
The chiefs of other forces like the BSF and the CISF have already travelled to Jammu and Kashmir post the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 tourists and one local guide were killed.
The about 3.25 lakh personnel force is designated as the country’s leading internal security force.
There is a heightened tension between New Delhi and Islamabad following India’s strike on multiple locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday and Pakistan’s attempts to hit the Indian military sites Thursday, which were thwarted by the Indian armed forces.
