Bihar gets 3 more RAF companies, new headquarters to come up in Vaishali

It will take at least three years to develop the required infrastructure to create RAF headquarters on the land allocated to the CRPF.

After years of wait, Bihar has been allotted three more 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, said officials.

The CRPF regularly launches joint operations against Left wing extremism in the state. (PTI file photo)

The Bihar government has given 50 acres of land to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Talgarha village under the Rajapakar police station area in Vaishali district, 35km from Patna, for RAF's permanent deployment. The ownership of 29 acres was earlier transferred to the CRPF for establishing the permanent headquarters of RAF in Bihar.

1992 batch IPS officer of Rajasthan cadre, Hemant Priyadarshi, inspector general (IG) CRPF, Bihar sector told reporters on Wednesday that the state has been allotted three more RAF companies by the centre. The state had only one company of RAF, currently stationed at Muzaffarpur. One battalion comprises around 1,600 personnel.

“The RAF’s 114 Battalion, earlier stationed at Jalandhar in Punjab, moved and arrived shortly in Bihar. The companies will be accommodated at Mokama and Muzaffarpur,” he added.

According to Priyadarshi, the nearest points from where the RAF personnel were drawn to the state were Allahabad and Jamshedpur, where the RAF’s 101 and 106 battalions are deployed respectively.

The IG said, it will take at least three years to develop the required infrastructure on the land. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) will develop the infrastructure. The IG further added that the land acquisition department was in the process of acquiring additional 21-acres of land for the purpose, which will also be handed over to the CRPF in the next three months.

The CRPF regularly launches joint operations against Left wing extremism with the help of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the state police. The CRPF was celebrating its 82nd raising day and will organize functions in Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Aurangabad and Jamui from March 11 to March 20.

The CRPF has 15 RAF battalions, which are pressed into action mainly during communal riots in any part of the country. Officials at state police headquarters admitted that at least ten districts, including Patna, Nalanda, Gopalganj, Sitamarhi and Katihar, fall in the ‘hypersensitive’ category in this regard.