NEW DELHI: The Indian Government has sanctioned the creation, India Reserve Battalions (IRB) other paramilitary force for “general security operations” in eight states. The states which are expected to have the battalions are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Hizoram, Manipur, Punjab, Rajasthan and Sikkim,
According to the sanction, the state governments will raise and maintain the battalions. However, the cost of their initial raising will be come by the central government every way of 50% grant and 50% long term interest free loan.
Under the scheme, Punjab will get 10 battalions. While it was not clear, why these forces had been created only for eight states, one official m the home ministry said that the initial demand for the forces had come from the states themselves.
The forces will be raised mainly from new recruitment done by the states. Though there are Chances that some of the old battalions from the other central forces may also be picked out to complete the grouping. This is the second major paramilitary formation to be raised after the Rapid Action Force: (RAF) which came functional under the operational command of the CRPF in October last year and posted a 10. “Communally sensitive” locations to give it a “zero response” time in the event of rioting anywhere in the country.
But even several heads of central police organizations (CPOs) have complained that the RAF has become ineffective because of the tendency of state governments to “hold on” to the forces for long periods of time, in the process compromising its rapidity. Prime examples of this has been the RAR presence in Bombay for more than a month.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 29, 1993
