Imphal, January 10: With the stated objective of giving more teeth to counter- insurgency operations, the State Government has taken a leaf out from the Punjab Police and the US Government and has set its eyes on raising an elite battalion of police commandos in Manipur.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express a well placed source said that to tackle the rising activities of militants and to neutralise their growing influence, the State Government has already received the nod from the Union Home Ministry to raise a police commando battalion in the line of Punjab Police and the United States.

The DGP has been entrusted with the task of deciding where to locate the police commandos battalion once it is raised, informed the source and added that the new battalion will have a strength of 1000 police commandos.

Chief Minister O Ibobi has already written to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil with the proposal to raise the new battalion and the Centre has also agreed to the proposal of the State Government, added the source.

Due process to raise the battalion will be taken up soon, the source further informed.

The Centre will foot all the bill for setting up the proposed commando Bn, said the source and added that the recruitment process will also be taken up soon.

The commandos will be imparted special training and they will be equipped with the latest and most sophisticated weapons to help meet the challenges of the militants, informed the source.

At the moment the service of police commandos in counter-insurgency operations are utilised at Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Bishnupur.

Till date no hill districts are covered by commandos.

Apart from the police commandos, the State forces which are currently deployed in Manipur for counter-insurgency operations include six battalions of Manipur Rifles and three battalions of IRB.

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