Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 27: In an important decision, which would give recruitment to at least 5500 youth, the Union Cabinet today approved five new battalions of Indian Reserve Police (IRP) for Jammu and Kashmir, which would be raised over a period of one and half years to two years with preferential treatment to the youths of border areas.
The Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi this morning cleared a proposal to raise a total of 17 new IRP battalions including five for Jammu and Kashmir, official sources told the Excelsior.
The Prime Minister, in his Special Package announced for Jammu and Kashmir on November 7, 2015, had kept a provision of Rs 300 crores for raising of five IRP battalions for the State.
Sixty percent vacancies in five IRP battalions, according to sources, will be reserved for the youth of border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. However, they said, the reservation of 60 percent for border districts in the IRP battalions will be confined only for the posts of constables and Class-IV and not to the ranks above constables.
Majority of posts in the battalion comprised of constables and youths from border areas of Jammu and Kashmir will benefit a lot due to the reservations. A battalion comprised around 1100 people and a total of 5500 youths from the State would get employment with the raising of five IRP battalions.
“As only local youths will be recruited in specially approved five IRP battalions for the State, the Centre has empowered the Government to relax age and educational qualification criteria for the youth, if required,’’ sources said.
Sources said the Central Government will fully fund the raising of all five IRP battalions for Jammu and Kashmir, which will be used to tackle militancy in the State. After the battalions are raised, the Government of India could withdraw some of the para-military forces or rotate them to other States during elections and other law and order duty.
“There had been long pending demand of the youths from Jammu and Kashmir and the erstwhile PDP-BJP Government, which was pursued vigorously by the State leaders with the Centre for sanction of five IRP battalions for the State with special quote for the youths of border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, who had suffered a lot due to Pakistan shelling and firing,’’ sources said.
Pointing out that local youths were well versed and could tackle militancy effectively, sources said the recruit of battalions would undergo rigorous training at different places to train them in anti-militancy operations and take up the role of para-military forces.
In Rs 80,000 crores worth Special Package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 7, 2015 for Jammu and Kashmir, Rs 300 crores had exclusively been earmarked for raising of five IRP battalions in Jammu and Kashmir.
With Cabinet clearance, decks now have been cleared for raising of the battalions in a period of about one and half years to two years.
The Cabinet in total approved the raising of 17 IRP battalions in Jammu & Kashmir and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected States. It includes five IR battalions in the State of J&K, four in Chhattisgarh, three each in Jharkhand and Odisha and two in Maharashtra.
The Government of India introduced the scheme of Indian Reserve Battalions in 1971. The Government of India has so far, sanctioned 153 IR battalions to various States, out of which 144 IR battalions have been raised and one IR battalion in Jharkhand has been converted into Specialized Indian Reserve Battalion (SIRB) having two engineering companies and five security companies.
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