Ajmer, Sept 28 The Central Reserve Police Force, Director-General, S C Choubey has said that it would become the biggest para-miliatary force in South-East Asia by the year 2005. Twenty-three battalions will be added in the current financial year and 25 battalions next year taking their total to 202 battalions by 2005, Choubey told a press conference here yesterday.

The Union government was considering making the CRPF fully responsible for the country's internal security and permanently posting some battalions in naxalite-affected states, the Director-General said. Online computerisation of CRPF has already begun and its its commando force was being strengthened after the Akshardham tragedy even as some units have been set up at six centres in the country, he said.

Choubey said 39 battalions were posted in Jammu and Kashmir at present and said till now 250 militants had been killed in encounters with CRPF personnel.

He said that 52 battalions were posted in the eastern states for combating naxalite menace and maintaining internal security. Bureau Report