ITBP to get two Helicopters soon on wet leasing: MoS Home, G Kishan Reddy

For the first time Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will get two helicopters on lease to effectively work in remote areas.

It was a long pending demand of ITBP to have helicopters to reach remote and hilly areas.

Minister of State, Home, G Kishan Reddy on Thursday said that process is in the last stage.

"We are hopeful that the ITBP will get two helicopters soon on wet leasing and the process is in the last stages of completion. This will help the force in various special requirements in remote areas," MoS Home, G Kishan Reddy said.

Reddy also said that the Ministry has provided more high powered SUVs to ITBP and induction of these vehicles are still on.

"In the last 4 years, besides special purchase as BOP vehicles, we have given the force many high powered vehicles and other equipments under Modernization plan II and respectively, many such vehicles have been purchased for the force at a cost of approximately 50 Crore rupees. This has changed the face of the transport wing of ITBP," Reddy said.

The Minister claimed that the Home Ministry has taken many initiatives to make the force modernized and to give it more power.

"We have provided uniform extreme Cold Clothing and mountaineering equipment at all high altitude categories from 9,000 ft and above with 100 per cent reserves. New weapons have been procured in lieu of old weapons and the procurement is still on," G Kishan Reddy said.

"Many types of new equipment have been procured. A special research on the study on the nutritional value of ITBP ration through Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO is to be done soon," Reddy added.