Arunachal Pradesh to raise new armed police battalion to boost internal security

Guwahati: To further strengthen internal security, the Arunachal Pradesh government on Friday decided to raise another Arunachal Armed Police Battalion (AAPBN).

This was announced after the state cabinet approved the raising of another AAPBN for additional security in the state. The cabinet meeting was chaired by chief minister Pema Khandu. The new AAPBN would be the India Reserve (IR) battalion and it can be deployed in any state of the country, if the MHA requires.

Officials from the CMO office said that Arunachal Pradesh currently has seven AAPBNs, including five IR battalions.


"The addition of a new battalion would significantly strengthen policing capacity, improve public safety, maintain law and order, and reduce dependency on Central Armed Police Forces. This would also generate employment opportunities for eligible local youths from the state," an official said.

The cabinet also approved the adoption of Model Guidelines for Support Persons under Section 39 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, with necessary state-specific modifications.

The revised guidelines provide for one support person per ten cases to assist child victims during pre-trial and trial stages, the CMO official said.