Naxal ops: CRPF trains officers with skills in jungle survival

Gurgaon (Haryana), Jan 17 (PTI) The CRPF, engaged inanti-Maoist operations, has trained a batch of young officerswith special skills in jungle survival to carry out ambushesin difficult terrains like those in Naxal hotbeds.

A batch of fifty-six young officers including threewomen, were today commissioned as Assistant Commandants in theworld''s largest paramilitary force, which has deployed almost60000 personnel (sixty battalions) for anti-naxal operationsin various states of the country.

The 41st DAGOs (Directly Appointed Gazetted Officers)batch is the first contingent of the force that passed outfrom the CRPF Academy here after last year''s gruesome naxalattack in Chhattisgarh which killed 75 CRPF men including twoofficers.

"The officers were imparted a special three-weekjungle and survival course during their training. Keeping inmind the operational requirements of the CRPF, including innaxal zones, this module is the most significant feature oftheir training," a senior Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)officer said.

Assistant Commandants are the cutting-edge levelofficers of a CRPF squad who lead a group of troops intooperations.

The officers have also been trained for unarmedcombat, weapon training, field craft and tactics, intelligencegathering, swimming and rock climbing during their 55-weektraining at various places including at the National SecurityGuard (NSG) base here.

CRPF Director General Vijay Kumar, who took the reinsof the force recently, took the salute of the new officers.

Kumar, who has set an example in the force by joininghis field officers and jawans by laying operational ambushesin the jungles of Chhattisgarh, asked the officers to motivatethe personnel under their command and keep a good regime oftraining and aim for the overall personality development ofthe troops.

Prakash Singh, who won the Home Minister''s Cup and theSword of Honour for the best trainee officer said he was proudof joining the force which has been the mainstay in variouslaw and order and other challenging tasks of counteringmilitants and insurgents in the country.

Banmala Kumar, a resident of Haryana, said she islooking forward to her appointment on the field after a month.