CRPF sends 36 BPL children on ‘Bharat Darshan’

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 15

The first batch of 36 schoolchildren belonging to below poverty line (BPL) families was flagged off for a ‘Bharat Darshan’ from Srinagar on Tuesday.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is organising the tour under the civic action programme. Under it, over 350 children will be sent outside the state in 20 groups.

“This year, a noble initiative under the Government of India-sponsored civic action programme has been undertaken by the CRPF wherein under-18 school-going Kashmiri children belonging BPL families have been fully sponsored by the Srinagar sector of the force to send them on an educational-cum-excursion trip to different parts of the country like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, etc,” CRPF’s Srinagar spokesman Sanjay Sharma said.

He said 20 such groups, each comprising 18 children and two teachers under one CRPF officer, will be sent to these places, where the entire expenditure will be borne by the force in an eight-day tailor-made schedule.

The first two groups, managed by the 43 Battalion, Budgam, and 132 Battalion, Srinagar, were flagged off in a colorful ceremony on Tuesday at the Srinagar airport by IG, CRPF, Ravideep Sahi.

He lauded the enthusiasm of the participating children and briefed them about the far-reaching personal benefits of the tour.