CRPF, BSF get new chiefs

The country's two largest paramilitary forces CRPF and BSF today got new chiefs.
Former SPG chief K Durga Prasad took over as the Director General of CRPF, while senior IPS officer K K Sharma took the reins of BSF at their respective headquarters here.
Prasad, a 1981-batch Telangana cadre IPS officer, took charge from his predecessor Prakash Mishra who superannuated as the chief of the about 3-lakh personnel strong force today.
He said his priorities will be to further sharpen and enhance the operational capabilities and better training of the men and women of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
"In the last one year, things have gone in the right direction and I will like to maintain the tempo and speed up the technical upgradation of the force.

"I have told my troops that we need to work with all the zeal and enthusiasm in a professional manner to deliver the results expected from us," Prasad told PTI.

The officer is best remembered for raising CRPF's elite jungle warfare unit CoBRA taking on Naxals during his stint as an Inspector General in 2008. The task was especially given to him considering his experience with a similar and highly successful commando unit of Andhra Pradesh police called the 'Greyhounds'.
Prasad's tenure as the Director of the Special Protection Group (SPG), entrusted to secure serving and former Prime Ministers, ended abruptly in 2014.

The second largest paramilitary force BSF also got its new chief in Sharma who took over from outgoing DG D K Pathak.
Sharma, a 1982-batch Rajasthan cadre police officer, will head the estimated 2.5 lakh troops of BSF.
While Prasad's tenure will last till February next year, Sharma will be in office till September 2018.
CRPF is the lead anti-Naxal and counter-insurgency operations force, while BSF is entrusted with guarding the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.