Centre sanctions 39 additional battalions including 2 women battalions in Central police - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Union Home ministry has given a go ahead for creation of 38 new battalions including two women battalions in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). In its year end review report, the MHA has said that out of 38 battalions three battalions, including a women battalion, would be raised in the current fiscal. "Out of these 38 Battalions, three Bns including one Mahila (women) Bn are to be raised during the current fiscal year. Similarly, 29 new battalions, to be raised over a period of five years starting from this fiscal year, were approved in early 2009 for the Border Security Force (BSF)," says the Home Ministry year-end report. In addition, the ceiling with regard to the strength of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been enhanced to 1,45,000 from 93,521. "Eleven India Reserve Battalions including two commando companies in each battalion were sanctioned to the State Governments of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya and Orissa and Union Territory Chandigarh," says the report. It further states that the Home Ministry has inducted Three Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv into BSF units based at Ranchi and Raipur. Besides, the Ministry also approved a revised recruitment scheme for recruitment of Constables in CPMFs. The year also witnessed the extension of the CISF security cover to the private sector after due amendment in the CISF Act in January. "For the first time, risk and hardship allowances were approved in April'09 for personnel of the CPMFs deployed in high risk and difficult areas such as high altitude areas, Left Wing Extremism affected areas, areas with uncongenial climate and other such areas," the report informs. It further informs that as per the directives of the Supreme Court on police reforms, MHA decided to set up a State Security Commission for all UTs which would lay down broad policies and evaluate performance of the police in each UT, to set up two Police Establishment Boards (PEB) in each UT, one for the the ranks of Inspectors and above and the other for Sub-Inspectors and below. The PEBs would decide all transfers, postings, promotions and other service-related matters set up a Police Complaints Authority in each UT accord two-year tenures in UTs to key police functionaries, except under exceptional circumstances and administrative exigencies which would be recorded in writing and separate police personnel into law and order and investigative wings in UTs. "A copy of the draft Model Police Act was sent to the States for consideration and appropriate action. The Model Police Act provides for well-defined duties of the Police towards the public and accountability to the rule of law. A number of States have either framed New Police Acts or amended the existing Acts," the report informs. Under the National Police Mission, six Micro-Missions namely Human Resource Development, Community Policing, Communication and Technology, Infrastructure, New Processes and Proactive Policing and Visualizing future Challenges have been set up. The projects on Community Counselling Centres and Transparent Recruitment Process, submitted by the Micro-Missions have been approved for implementation. The MHA's year end states: "Allocation of land and construction activities began during the year for setting up of 20 Counter-Insurgency and Anti-Terrorist Schools in the States of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa to provide training to police personnel in counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism tactics." "It has been decided to establish a Central Academy for Police Training at Bhopal as a centre of excellence for training of State police officers. 400 acres of land has been allotted by the Madhya Pradesh Government for the purpose" it adds. According to the MHA report, during 2009, 22 new Police Stations and nine Sub-Divisions of Delhi Police were notified and sanction for creation of 6478 posts for these new Police Stations and Sub-Divisions issued. Approval was accorded to a Plan Scheme relating to Modernisation of Traffic and Communications Network of the Delhi Police at a cost of Rs.200 crore for implementation in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. To minimize the shortage of IPS officers at SP level, a decision has been taken to increase the batch-size of the Indian Police Service from 130 to 150 from the Civil Services Examination, 2009 onwards, the MHA report has revealed. MHA through its report has stated that during the year 2009, the Bureau of Police Research Development has been strengthened and restructured by the sanctioning of 72 additional posts.