ITBP likely for Chamba

SHIMLA, April 5: The Centre has agreed to send an additional company of Indo-Tibetan Border Police ITBP to the state for deployment in militant-affected areas of Chamba, bordering Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal told mediapersons today that he had spoken to Union Home Minister L. K. Advani and Union Home Secretary B. P. Singh, asking them to replace the Central Reserve Police Force battalion with Indo-Tibetan Border Police . 8220;Both, Advani and Singh, have assured me to place an additional battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police at our disposal as replacement to the CRPF,8221; he added.

The Centre had written to the state government about its decision to pull-out the Central Reserve Police Force battalion from Chamba since it was being sent to Bihar.

Dhumal said the Indo-Tibetan Border Police , which had been guarding the borders, after last year8217;s massacre, was more suited to the area because of its peculiar topography.