Kolkata: The West Bengal government has
decided to raise a counter insurgency force on the lines of
Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh to combat Maoists in the state.
A training centre for the personnel would be set up in
Salua and they would be given field training at Salboni, both
in West Midnapore district, while the force`s headquarters
would be based in Garia, Director General of Police Bhupinder
Singh said today.
At least 1000 personnel from the state armed forces
would be given commando training for inclusion in the counter
insurgency force, he said, adding budgetary allocation has
been made for the purpose.
IGP (Armed Police) Vivek Sahay was given additional
charge as IGP (Operations) in the force, while Assistant
Director of the National Police Academy Ajoy Nanda would take
over as DIG (Training and Operations), Singh said.
At present such schools existed in Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
The state police was also thinking of commando
training on the Greyhound pattern for all policemen at a later
stage, the DGP said.
Such training was currently given to DSPs and senior
officials by the experts in naxalite-hit states, he said.
Trainees would be shortlisted from common recruitment,
he said.
The Centre has approved the proposal for three counter
insurgency anti-terrorist schools in North Bengal, Purulia and
Salua, the officer said.
PTI
