MHA orders shifting 2 CRPF centres from K,tala to HM's home district in UP

The Union Home ministry has directed a quick re-location of two large CRPF establishments, that would serve about 8,000 personnel, from their existing base in Karnataka's Taralu to Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh, the home district of home minister Rajnath Singh.

The ministry, on May 17, issued orders to the Central Reserve Police Force to transfer the range headquarters and group centre of the force from their existing locations in the south Indian state to two hired locations in the Uttar Pradesh district under the Varanasi division.

An order accessed by PTI said that the centres would initially function from two hired buildings in Varanasi (Range Headquarters 4,000 sq feet) and Mughal Sarai (Group Centre 5,7840 sq feet).

They would shift to new locations in Chandauli district once the required land is acquired by the CRPF.

The ministry, as per the order, has asked the CRPF to shift the two establishments "on priority" to the new locations.

The proposal to shift the two centres was first mooted by the CRPF last year.

A full fledged group centre is expected to be built and operationalised over the next few years along with a range headquarters of the force in Chandauli.

They will have facilities to house and serve about 8,000 personnel and their families, a senior official said.

Taralu, under the Bangalore district, at present is the base for the CRPF's dog breeding and training centre.

The home minister was born on July 10, 1951 in a farmer's family in the Babhora village under Chakia tehsil of Varanasi district, now under Chandauli district.

A group centre of the CRPF has four-five battalions under its jurisdiction and one battalion has about 1,000 personnel. A range headquarters in the CRPF is headed by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer.

The CRPF has five group centres in Uttar Pradesh at present including in Allahabad, Lucknow, Rampur, Greater Noida and Amethi, the parliamentary constituency of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The about 3-lakh personnel strong CRPF is the country's largest paramilitary force and the lead security force to conduct operations in Naxal violence hit states and for combating militants and insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.