CRPF gets Rs 1,200-cr anti-Naxal aid
The Union Home Ministry has granted sanction for acquisition of sophisticated weapons and combat vehicles worth about Rs 1,200 crore for the CRPF with a view to sharpen anti-Naxal and counter-insurgency offensives across the country.
Expenditure sanction was granted following a high level meeting between Union Home Secretary RK Singh and Director General of CRPF K Vijay Kumar on July 4.
Big ticket acquisitions lined up include purchase of over 1,050 automatic grenade launchers (Rs 176.5 crore), 1,205 84 mm rocket launcher (Rs 272.46 crore), 1,380 hand-held thermal imagers and LCD (Rs 204.30 crore), 6,777 portable night vision monocular (Rs 132.83 crore), 1,915 multiple grenade launcher and matching ammunition (Rs 99.90 crore) and 1,208 medium machine gun (Rs 58.77 crore).
Other purchases in the offing are equipment for bomb disposal squads (Rs 32.79 crore), 15,599 GPS (Rs 31.20 crore), 169 water truck (Rs 24.26 crore), 75 all terrain vehicles (Rs 15.34 crore), about 2.4 lakh pair jungle shoes (Rs 21.07 crore) and combat dress for recruits (48.95 crore) and special riot drill equipment (Rs 14.5 crore).
Sanctioned purchases also include running shoes in lieu of PT shoes, sleeping bags and 31 JCB backhoe loader (Rs 6.28 crore).
The issue of ban on procurement of vehicles against condemned vehicles was also discussed during the meeting and a decision to further
discuss it with financial advisor was taken.
The DG, CRPF had through a letter on May 8 this year to the Union Home Secretary RK Singh raised the issue of waiver of a condition that authorizes the DG of Central paramilitary forces to procure vehicles
against condemnation only for the station from where the vehicles are junked.
The procurement of all terrain vehicles, water trucks, backhoe loaders, portable night vision monocular, GPS, equipment for bomb disposal squad, hand-held thermal imagers, 84 mm rocket launchers, multiple grenade launchers, automatic grenade launchers and medium machine guns will help boost “big sweep” anti-Naxal operations across the States affected by the ultra-Left violence.
The proposal for acquisition of these weapons and equipments were pending for the last two years.
Senior CRPF officials said the Maoists take advantage of the monsoon to target the security forces during which medium to large offensives are required to be taken to establish area domination.
Modern technological gadgets and equipment coupled with sophisticated weapons act as catalyst for carrying large offensives against the ultras. Maoists have in the past targeted the security forces’ camps and ambush the security personnel through their guerilla warfare entailing significant number of cadres.
CRPF gets Rs 1,200-cr anti-Naxal aid
