RAF plans to raise five more battalions

The Rapid Action Force (RAF) has planned to raise five more battalions to strengthen the specialised riot-control wing of the CRPF, a senior RAF official said Saturday.

Inspector General of RAF, K S Bhandari, who was in the steel city for an inspection of 106 battalion, told newsmen the government has in principle agreed to raise five new battalions to strengthen the specialised wing.

The new battalions would be raised in Alwar, Bengaluru, Patna, Varanasi, and in Siliguri for the North-East region, he said adding a discussion in this regard was held with the Bihar government.

Bhandari was accompanied by Commanding Officer of 106 battalion P Kujjur. 

He said the setting up of new battalion would help ease pressure on 106 battalion, which was currently operating in the Eastern part of India.

"Currently we have 10 battalions while the official strength altogether is 12,000. Around 6000 personnel are likely to join RAF following the implementation of the proposal," Bhandari said.

Referring to resources development, he said technical up-gradation was a continuous process and they are working to make available resources more effective.

"As far as non-lethal weapons are concerned, we have been doing research with the help of DRDO to extract better result without causing danger to human life," he said.

To a query about the impact of stress on jawans, Bhandari said people across society are under stress for different reasons but yoga, routine exercise, and awareness campaign are parts of our daily routine to ease it.