Permanent deployment of RAF in state by October
2 min readPATNA: After years of wait, Bihar may get two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) as advance parties for permanent deployment to handle any communal violence and law and order situation across the state.
RAF actually has specialized battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to counter mob violence. RAF battalions come under the command of Union ministry of home affairs and are permanently stationed at several locations in India. The nearest places around Bihar where RAF battalions are stationed are Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. It takes several hours for them to reach Bihar.
Till now, Bihar used to get RAF companies mostly from Jamshedpur or sometimes from Allahabad following its request to the Union ministry of home affairs.
The RAFs personnel are deployed in Bihar regularly during festivals and in other situations. A plan was pending for long to station them permanently in the state for quick deployment.
When contacted, CRPF sources said two companies of 114 battalion of RAF, deployed at Jalandhar in Punjab, would be brought to Bihar before October for stationing them permanently. “The companies will be stationed at the CRPF 153 battalion headquarters at Motihari in East Champaran,” sources said and added that the Motihari infrastructure would fall vacant soon as the battalion headquarters was being shifted to Aurangabad.
Sources said during any law and order situation or communal violence in Bihar, companies of CRPF or SSB, which remain under training at that time, is deployed immediately.
They also said the ownership of 29 acre of government land at Rajapakar in Vaishali district had been handed over to the CRPF for establishing the permanent headquarters of RAF in Bihar. They said the land was originally earmarked for Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar police. “At least 50 acre land is required for RAF headquarters. State government is under process to acquire additional 20 acre for the purpose, which will also be handed over to the CRPF in future,” sources said, adding once the land is transferred, steps for construction would be taken and RAF companies would be shifted to Rajapakar from Motihari.
Courtesy: TNN
