Effort on to boost State police with hi-tech weapons
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 05 2013 :
With the existing arsenal of the State police force not effective enough to face the underground activists who are equipped with the latest and most sophisticated weapons of the time, the Government of Manipur has started discussing procurement of Rocket Propel Gun (RPG), Sniper Rifles, M-16, Grenade Launcher gun and other sophisticated weapons for its police personnel.
The move has been made as a necessity in view of the frequent attacks carried out on the security forces by armed activists of various underground organisations in Manipur which are equipped with hi-tech weapons and are fighting for ceding Manipur from India.
With underground activists having access to latest hi-tech weapons like RPG, Sniper, Grenade Launcher, 3 Inch Mortar, Motor Magazine Gun (MMG), M-16 and AK-series, the State police force has been at a disadvantageous position during encounters.
So, the discussion for procuring all these sophisticated weapons to equip the State Police personnel has been started under the initiative of Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhagam, who is also in charge of the Home Department, as part of the police modernisation effort.
Talking to Hueiyen Lanpao in this connection, Gaikhangam pointed out that while confronting underground elements, there are times when the State Police forces could not wait for the Para-military forces or Army to come for help.
Moreover, all these para-military and Army personnel deployed in Manipur are for temporary arrangement.
When they left, it would be the sole responsibility of the State police force to take care of the law and order problem in the State.
So, there is the urgent need to strengthen the existing arsenal of the State police force, and hence, the proposal for procuring sophisticated weapons like Rocket Propel Gun (RPG), Sniper Rifles, M-16, Grenade Launcher Gun, etc has been made.
To a question on whether the heavy weapons and other sophisticated arms normally used by Army during war could be inducted and provided to the State police personnel, Gaikhangam maintained that there is no such restriction.
When contacted, DGP MK Das pointed out that induction of hi-tech weapons for the State Police force is only at the discussion stage and the Government has not taken any definite decision in this regard.
Nor there has been any finalisation on whether these hi-tech weapons should be provided to only select groups of Manipur Police, Police Commandos, Manipur Rifles or IRB personnel.
However, as procurement of such hi-tech weapons for the State police force would require huge amount of money, the Home Department has started discussing the possibility of including the needed fund in the financial planning of the State Government under the 14th Finance Commission award.
Meanwhile, another source disclosed that many of the hi-tech weapons, which were even unthinkable to lay their hands on by the underground activists at one time, could now be smuggled in easily from countries like China now-a-day and the Government of Manipur considers this as a very serious issue.