CRPF to be replaced with ITBP in Naxal-hit Gadchiroli

NAGPUR: The Central Reserve Police Force deployed in Maharashtra's naxal hotbed of Gadchiroli will soon be replaced with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, a senior CRPF official said.

The process of withdrawing the CRPF battalions has already begun following which the deployment of ITBP jawans will commence. Both the processes will be completed within a span of six months, CRPF Western Sector's Inspector General of Police Sanjay Kaushik told PTI.

The deployment process includes the induction training of the ITBP men who are posted in hilly regions and would be deployed to combat Left Wing Extremism for the first time, he said.

The swapping of CRPF with ITBP in Gadchiroli is being done after a government decision in this regard, he said.

This will enable the ITBP jawans, some of whom are from Maharashtra, to get closer to their families, Kaushik said.

To a question on dismantling of intelligence gathering mechanism, Kaushik said each security force has its own style of getting inputs and the state police machinery is also involved. There will not be a break in continuity of the (intelligence gathering) system, he said.

The IG admitted that CRPF, the largest paramilitary force in the world with a strength of about three lakh men, had shortage of bullet-proof head gear, but assured that the requirement would soon be met in the Naxal affected areas.