SWAT, Rapid Rural Response Force good initiatives, says ADGP (Armed Battalions)

Manish Sirhindi

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 16

After the Dinanagar terrorist attacks where Punjab Police’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) was put to test and saw the state government announcing setting up of Rapid Rural Response Force (RRRF), the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Armed Battalions, Sanjeev Kalra, here today stated that these were good initiatives, which should not be allowed to fade away with time.

In an informal chat with The Tribune, Kalra, who was here to inaugurate the Golf Range and Course “Bahadurgarh greens” and also lay the foundation stone of Golf Club at the 36th Battalion, Punjab Armed Police (PAP) Bahadurgarh, said the state police was now better equipped to deal with any such eventualities.

“However, more efforts should be put in to ensure that these endeavours did not lose steam a few years down the line,” he said.

It was about four years ago that the Punjab Police had set up SWAT and immediately after the Dinanagar attacks, the state government had announced that exclusive SWAT team for border areas would be established, along with Rapid Rural Response Force, to deal with any terror attacks within 10 minutes of its occurrence in any village of Punjab. A sum of Rs 50 crore was also set aside for the special security group and foreign tie-ups to impart specialised training.

The state had even decided to order 220 vehicles for the rural force and come up with a training institute at Dera Bassi.

Kalra said the state police’s preparedness to react under serious threat was checked during the Dinanagar attacks. In the coming times, the state forces would evolve as a more goal-driven force that sweep down swiftly and silently, attain the goal and leave the place.