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CRPF may take over 'national security' by 2005

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE JUNE 20. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be organisationally restructured to take over all "national security" issues by 2005.

The CRPF Inspector-General, southern sector, P.N. Ramakrishnan, said the Government wanted to the CRPF to take "special responsibility'' for national security. This involved issues such as insurgency and the naxalite menace but the exact areas were yet to be identified. By 2005, the CRPF, now 153 battalion-strong, would have 205 battalions or a force of 2.05 lakhs.

Asked why the CRPF had been assigned such a role, he said that all the Central forces were becoming specialised. He did not foresee any clash with the State Governments or the police in this regard. "Of course, the State Governments are being consulted. Besides, ours is meant to be a complementary role,'' he stressed.

Mr. Ramakrishnan regretted that the southern sector — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshwadweep, and Pondicherry — had very low recruitment. Many of those who appeared for recruitment were disqualified, as they did not meet the required physical fitness standards.

"We do not want them to be sportsmen, but rural youth in particular are not up to the mark. The experience has been disappointing because we are forced to make up shortages with men from the North or North-East. This means that men from the southern regions lose out,'' he said. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Maharashtra had a strong presence in the force.

In the southern and other States, language was a problem. "As part of our recruitment, we have papers to be answered in English or Hindi. Many people do not know either language. Hence, the CRPF recently wrote to the Centre asking if non-Hindi speakers could be permitted to write in their mother- tongue. "A reply is yet to come.''

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