NEW DELHI, Aug 23: Country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF on Friday received three ‘smart policing’ awards for rendering exceptional services to people living in remote violence-hit
areas of Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The award, instituted by industry body FICCI, was presented by Union minister Jitendra Singh at a homeland security event here.
Sudhir Kumar, the commandant of the CRPF’s 85th battalion deployed in Chattisgarh’s Bijapur district, was awarded for initiating people-friendly work in regions worst-hit by Maoist violence and effectively implementing government’s flagship welfare schemes in the Bastar region of the state.
The officer launched the innovative ‘bike ambulance’ concept to ferry the sick in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas and also deputed his officers to teach children in regions that face acute shortage of regular primary teachers.
Few locals who suffered amputation of limbs due to Naxal-triggered landmine blasts were provided prosthetic legs by Kumar’s battalion by effectively utilising government funds, a senior official said.
The second ‘smart policing’ award was given to the CRPF’s special helpline–14411– based in the Kashmir Valley for helping thousands of Kashmiris in distress.
On receiving of a call, the ‘madadgaar’ rushes soldiers of the paramilitary to not only donate blood or rescue those trapped in an accident, but also to deliver medicines, food, cash and helps poor patients to undergo dialysis and other costly medical procedures.
The award was received by Assistant Commandant Gul Junaid Khan who handles the helpline with a dedicated team of his 15 personnel from a Central Reserve Police Fore camp in Srinagar.
The 24×7 helpline, launched in June 2017, has received about 4 lakh calls till now.
The third award was received by Commandant Dhirendra Verma who heads the Institute of IED Management (IIM) of the force located in Pune.
The institute has been instrumental in saving lives of troops and common people by creating awareness about IED threats and suggesting effective counter-IED techniques in the regions affected by Naxalism and insurgency.
“All the three officers have also been accorded the DG’s commendation disc and certificate by force chief R R Bhatnagar in recognition of their exceptional service,” CRPF spokesperson Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Moses Dhinakaran said.
The force came into existence as the Crown Representative’s Police in 1939. It became the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28, 1949.
The Force has grown into a mammoth organisation with 246 battalions, including 208 executive battalions, six women battalions, 15 Rapid Action Force (anti-riots) battalions, 10 CoBRA (specialised anti-Naxala) battalions. (PTI)
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