Imphal, August 22: State Director General of Police AA Siddique today stated that Government had planned to abolish the 9th Manipur Rifles at Taphou and set up the 3rd IRB as the State is facing acute financial problem.

The DGP told this reporter that the step has been effected as the State has been unable to pay the salaries and ration money of the 9th MR personnel due to the fund shortage.

All he former personnel of the 9the MR will be absorbed to other remaining battalion, he added.

He said the Centre will be granting Rs 10-14 crore for the setting up of the new IRB battalion the headquarters of which will be at Imphal.

All the personnel starting from soldiers to officers will be recruited from local men.

The likely strength of the new battalion will be around 800 to 900, he said.

It may be recalled that the 3rd MR and the 4th MR have already been converted into the BSF.

On the controversy over the shifting of the 1st MR from its present location at Imphal to Taphou, Siddiqui reminded that there is no battalion which cannot be shifted.

Ruling out any political motive, he supported the shifting saying it is only inside the State.

Stating the Police Department will be initiating new training fro State police personnel who had been receiving training on investigation, modernization and computer application in the State till date will now be sent outside the State.

The police officer was all praise for the activities f the police and security personnel during the past half month.

He claimed that altogether 150 militants were arrested during the period besides engaging in several encounters without receiving casualties.

Police also busted a fake currency note racket, he added.

Siddiqui said the hold up on promotion of police personnel will be lifted once the Government ban on it has been lifted.

He said that extortion by underground groups from different Departments has shown a steep decline and owed the reason to both fund scarcity and the measures taken up by the police.

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