Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 08 2008:
MANIPUR GOVERNMENT has sought approval from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs with regard to the conversion of newly raised 8th battalion Indian Reserved Battalion, IRB in the state into as commando battalion once again, official source said Monday.
Manipur government proposed for the commando battalion with an objective of strengthening the police commandos in counter-insurgency
operations.
The state government plans an elite battalion of police commandos in Manipur in the same way as the Punjab Police and the US government.
The state's proposal also aims at tackling the rising activities of militants and to neutralize their growing influence in the state.
Police commando units currently under the control of the district police headquarters of four valley districts are countering with the militancy in the valley areas and assisting the Central security forces.
A total of 800 personnel of different ranks selected from civil police, Manipur Rifles and IRB are currently manning the commando units.
In May this year, mention may be made that while the MHA turned down a proposal of setting up a separate commando battalion agreed in raising of another Indian Reserved Battalion by the Manipur government with a one-time relaxation for 100 percent funding by the Centre.
But, the state government on 29 November last while expressing the need of keeping the police commandos as separate forces under an unit has re-submitted the proposal to allow in the conversion of the 8th battalion IRB which MHA had already sanctioned for raising into commando battalion with a staff structure, equipments, arms and ammunitions under the IRB scheme of the ministry, official source said.
In the proposal, to convert the 8th IRB into Commando Battalion by changing the nomenclature of the designated posts of SP, additional SP and deputy SP has commandant, deputy commandant and assistant commandant respectively, the source added.
Increase of manpower of the communication set by creating 33 posts including a post of inspector (radio), two SI (radio), three head constable (RTO) and 26 constables (CRTO) as per the pattern of the IRB is also proposed, the source said.
The proposed commando will also have a common staffs of 31 sub-inspectors, 85 head constables and 554 constables, the source added.