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CRPF to create new unit for VIP security in country

Already embattled fighting Naxalites in nine states and conducting anti-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, CRPF said a decision has been taken to carve out three battalions separately where personnel will be extremely careful with protocols. One battalion comprises around a 1,000 personnel.

Recently, the para-military force was entrusted with the security of RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani. Union ministers V Narayanasamy and Manish Tewari were also included in the charter of CRPF’s ‘Z+’ category protection.

The force, at present, has 35 protectees in its VIP security net. In ‘Z’ and ‘Z+’ categories, around 90 to 120 personnel are required.

‘We have decided to create an exclusive VIP protection unit in the force with a dedicated manpower of three battalions. The number of protectees under the force are growing and, hence, we wanted to standardise protocols in this regard and to effectively render this duty,’ Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Dilip Trivedi said.

The director general, who heads the over 241 battalion- strong force, said CRPF has a number of VVIPs and VIPs under its security umbrella across the country and, therefore, it wanted to create an expertise in this domain.

CRPF personnel are trained in counter-insurgency and anti-Naxal combat operations apart from regular law and order duties but in this new setup, a team of 3,000 personnel will have a different learning altogether which includes saving and preventing an attack on the VIP, he said.

A new training centre for the chosen commandos of CRPF will be set up in Haryana and it will train the personnel in skills required to secure a VIP which includes proximate security drills, vehicle driving and special weapons handling.

A separate funding for this unit will also be made from the forces’ annual budgetary allocation.
Besides CRPF, the other central forces – NSG, CISF and ITBP – also cater to VIP security duties and the forces have seen an increase in the number of their protectees over the last two years.

Officials in the security establishment said the number of VIP and VVIP protectees under CRPF security is bound to increase with the poll season fast catching up with a host of candidates and leaders, considered to be facing threat, travelling across the country for election campaign.
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