Centre okays 5 IRP battalions for state

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 28

Governor NN Vohra’s efforts to give a fillip to security apparatus in the militancy-infested Jammu and Kashmir has started bearing fruit as theBJP-led NDA government has given its nod to five more Indian Reserve Police (IRP) battalionsfor the state.

Last year during the Governor’s Rule for 50 days following a fractured mandate of the Assembly poll on December 23, 2014, Vohra, after a detailed assessment of the security grid, had suggested to the Centre to sanction five battalions each of theIRP, Territorial Army (TA) and the CRPF.

“The BJP government’s nod to five IRP battalions has vindicated Governor’s request to theCentre. Going by the dynamics of thesecurity environment, J&K certainly needed to do much more on this key front,” said a source in the Home Department.

One battalion comprises 1,151 personnel and officers and the Centre has kept Rs 305 crore for the five battalions.

“Not only security will get more teeth in the state, but also 60 per cent out of more than 5,500 posts in five battalions will be kept reserved for youth of border areas from J&K,” he added.

However, reservation shall be applicable tothe posts of constable and Class IV employees. Itwill take around twoyears to complete the entire process to raise the five new battalions.