PATNA: The Bihar government has decided to make available 50 acres of land to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Talgarha village under the Rajapakar police station area in Vaishali district, 35km from Patna, for permanent deployment of a Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalion in the state.
Sources said a plot of 28.9 acres in the village is already owned by the state government, which would be given to the CRPF immediately. The remaining 21 acres will be acquired. The CRPF will not have to make any payment to the state government for the land.
The decision follows a Union home ministry's directive five years back that communally sensitive states should get an RAF battalion deployed on a permanent basis.
State police HQ sources admitted at least ten districts, including Patna, Nalanda and Katihar, fall in the category of 'hypersensitive' when it comes to incidents of communal riot and tension.
According to CRPF's Bihar sector IG M S Bhatia, the nearest points from where the RAF personnel are drawn to the state for now are Allahabad and Jamshedpur, where the RAF's 101 and 106 battalions respectively are deployed.
After the land comes in the possession of the CRPF, Bhatia said, it will take at least two years to develop the required infrastructure on it. "The Central Public Works Department will develop the infrastructure, which will cost no less than Rs 100 crore," the IG said.
Sources said the Centre has already earmarked the RAF's 114 battalion, currently stationed in Jalandhar, for deployment in Bihar. The CRPF has altogether ten RAF battalions which are pressed into action mainly during communal riots in any part of the country.
Sources said a plot of 28.9 acres in the village is already owned by the state government, which would be given to the CRPF immediately. The remaining 21 acres will be acquired. The CRPF will not have to make any payment to the state government for the land.
The decision follows a Union home ministry's directive five years back that communally sensitive states should get an RAF battalion deployed on a permanent basis.
State police HQ sources admitted at least ten districts, including Patna, Nalanda and Katihar, fall in the category of 'hypersensitive' when it comes to incidents of communal riot and tension.
According to CRPF's Bihar sector IG M S Bhatia, the nearest points from where the RAF personnel are drawn to the state for now are Allahabad and Jamshedpur, where the RAF's 101 and 106 battalions respectively are deployed.
After the land comes in the possession of the CRPF, Bhatia said, it will take at least two years to develop the required infrastructure on it. "The Central Public Works Department will develop the infrastructure, which will cost no less than Rs 100 crore," the IG said.
Sources said the Centre has already earmarked the RAF's 114 battalion, currently stationed in Jalandhar, for deployment in Bihar. The CRPF has altogether ten RAF battalions which are pressed into action mainly during communal riots in any part of the country.
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