Srinagar, January 27
The process of phasing out the Border Security Force (BSF) and replacing it with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir will begin after the February 26 Assembly elections in four states. The CRPF which has been assisting the local police will also take over from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in a phased manner, that will begin with replacement by eight CRPF battalions.
This decision, according to senior police officers here, has been taken following recommendations by groups of ministers, on the basis of intelligence reports following the Kargil war in 1999. The ministers had recommended that the BSF meant for guarding the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders, and the ITBP meant for guarding the borders with China be relieved of the counter-insurgency operations in the state and sent back to their positions. The decision has been taken to give charge of internal security and counter-insurgency operations to one single force, top police sources here said.
Initially, at least eight battalions of the CRPF will take over from the BSF from different areas in the next few months, and that is scheduled to take place when the troops return after the conduct of Assembly elections in four states of Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura on February 26.
In view of the greater responsibilities that requires more manpower and modernisation of equipment, the process of total replacement by the CRPF will take about five years, according to police sources. The CRPF, according to the reports, is already in the process of modernisation and has got some sophisticated weapons to combat militancy in the troubled state. It will also be raising its strength.
While the BSF, over the past 13 years, has been involved in
counter-insurgency operations since the eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the CRPF has been assisting the local police for internal security and deployment along with the local police at vital installations.
With the onset of militancy in 1989, BSF units from outside were inducted to contain it. It has to its credit killings of 2361 militants, apprehension of 9350 and surrender of 905 militants between 1990 and November 2002. A large haul of 8057 arms of various types, 691843 rounds of assorted ammunition, 695 wireless sets, 6638.9 kgs of explosives and 908 IEDs were also seized during the same period. It killed 141 militants last year and apprehended 168 in the Srinagar frontier, while four others also surrendered last year.
