Paramilitary forces on upgrade mode

[Marxist]

New Delhi: In the light of fresh challenges thrown up by the Mumbai terror attacks and Naxal violence in several states, the home ministry is rushing to upgrade the operational effectiveness of the paramilitary forces.

These forces are being re-equipped at breakneck speed with new weapons, bullet-proof jackets, riot gear and armoured vehicles.

Global equipment suppliers who have recently been camping in New Delhi and displaying their lethal wares, estimate that the India market for internal-security related equipment will be worth a whopping Rs45,000 crore over the period of next two to three years.

Home secretary GK Pillai, who inaugurated a homeland security exhibition here this week, said that the security industry was recession-proof and offered numerous technological solutions for forces involved in internal security duties.

"The challenges are many. We have had a series of defence security exhibitions in last one year which have given us a taste of what equipments are available. Some of the paramilitary forces, and state police forces have already moved ahead and have taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to them," Pillai had said.

In the last two months alone, the home ministry has given sanction to a number of modernisation programmes of paramilitary forces, including procurement of 59,000 light-weight bullet-proof jackets.

From CRPF to BSF NSG to ITBP, all such forces are in the process of acquiring new weapons, all-terrain vehicles and helicopters.

"Modernisation is an ongoing process. Perhaps after the 26/11, there has been a greater impetus to upgrading of arms and ammunition," a senior paramilitary officer said.

The NSG has recently placed an order of over 800 state-of-the-art SIG rifles, something which certain other forces are also looking at. Last month, the MHA has sanctioned procurement of 378 automatic grenade launchers and related ammunition at a total cost of Rs37.83 crore.

It also sanctioned procurement of 34,377 carbines for the BSF at a cost of Rs137.51 crore. The CISF, which guards the airports, nuclear plants and other sensitive installations, already uses Glock pistols and will also procure 1,000 more such weapons at a cost of Rs2.5 crore.

Equipment manufacturers estimate that the security budget for both the Central and state governments this year has increased to over Rs1.27 lakh crore. This is a 35% increase over the previous year.

Paramilitary forces on upgrade mode - dnaindia.com

 

[ARCHON]

Something which had to be done much earlier rather than waiting for events to happen.

As people say' Better late than never"

 

[Bushy]

Something which had to be done much earlier rather than waiting for events to happen.

As people say' Better late than never"

I doubt the new weapons will make much of a difference, as most of the CRPF officers terribly lack the training required to take on guerrilla warfare, esp in unknown territories. The few officers who were successful in the naxal areas, were so solely because of their ingenuity and courage.

In all the seriousness, the govt. should be providing them more with high-level equipments of defense than equipments of offense. Though the recent incident involved the CRPF men being ambushed in an unknown forest area, majority of the casualties till date can be attributed to the home-made land mines that are easy to detect and even easier to defend against, provided the men have proper equipments, training, vehicles etc.

One important part that I see the ministers and bureaucrats avoiding each year is the amount of allocation of cash to pay for intelligence. The officers that have been highly successful in the naxal areas, have been paying the locals for intelligence from their own pockets. A mere Rs. 1200 a week is nothing if you want some poor local to be risking his life by becoming loyal to a temporarily based you against the permanently based naxals there.

Unless these unsaid matters are talked about and addressed properly, there will always be casualties, and even though the naxals may not become successful, they surely may humiliate the entity/paramilitary by continuously inflicting such massive damages.

 

[haawk]

how can you say that in a war?

we dont say that in war.......you know we too have nukes for deterance---just a remainder......