RPF commando force to tackle extremism

The Railway Protection Force RPF will soon have its own commando force to counter threats from militants and Naxals. The proposed commando force would be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir,North-East region and Naxal-hit areas,RPF Director General Ranjit Sinha said on Saturday evening.

The Railways,of late,had become the soft target of the Naxals in Orissa and Chhattisgarh. This is one of the reasons why we are raising the Commando Force, he said,participating in the 81st passing out parade of the RPF and Railway Protection Special Force RPSF,at the RPF training centre here.

The commando personnel would be trained at the Central Reserve Police Force Training Centre at Silchar. Services of the Army and the Commando force of Andhra Pradesh would also be utilised for training the new force.

Sinha said the Centre had been requested to provide AK-47 rifles and bullet proof jackets to all RPSF personnel. Security at 140 railway stations are being beefed up under an integrated scheme and government had allocated a special fund of Rs 350 crore this year for the purpose,Sinha added.