As part of the drawdown plan of the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is preparing to replace them and is considering creating a company of younger personnel for each unit in the region. The Special DG J&K Zone has directed all formations to ensure that all personnel are fit and under 40 years of age, with each unit consisting of 100-135 soldiers. The concerned units have been asked to provide details by February 24.
Meanwhile, CRPF has offered to shift a few number of “young blood” CoBRA commandos, capable enough to handle any situation in any terrain. The team was raised to deal with Naxals but now the situation is better in Left-Wing Extremist states, sources said.
Following the Abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, J&K will also see unprecedented structural changes in the deployment of security forces, including the reduction of Indian Army troops as well in various areas.
The proposal of the drawdown plan of Rashtriya Rifles has been reviewed by the government and a phase-wise exit plan is also on the cards, which will take over six years to complete.
But the officials are expecting that the withdrawal will happen in a phased manner, in which, some troops will be pulled out by next year as part of the downsizing of the RR force in the region.
The CRPF will now have a bigger role to play in J&K as it will have the operational control after the proposal is implemented.
