Prakash Mishra takes over as CRPF DG

NEW DELHI: Senior IPS officer Prakash Mishra today took over as the new chief of country's largest paramilitary and lead anti-Naxal operations force CRPF.

Mishra, an ex-Odisha police DGP and 1977-batch IPS officer, took charge at the Central Reserve Police Force headquarters here after his name was announced for the post by the government last week.

Mishra was till now serving as the Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry.

The post of CRPF Director General has been vacant for over a fortnight after incumbent Dilip Trivedi had retired on November 30.

The about 3-lakh personnel strong force is the mainstay for anti-Naxal operations and Mishra has himself spearheaded the battle when he was Odisha police head.

The force is facing a number of challenges, especially in the Left Wing Extremism theatre, and three committees have been formed by the government in recent past to fine-tune the operational efficacy and modernisation of the paramilitary in this domain.

Mishra's tenure at the top post will end in February 2016.