Y.S. RANA , CHANDIGARH—FEB 5—In keeping with the central government directives issued to the Chandigarh Administration to be more vigilant and takes some curative steps after Delhi bomb blast, the Inspector General of Police, Chandigarh, raised the issue of training to the police personnel in specialized military discipline in the recently concluded Civil-Defence Liaison Conference. He urged the Army authorities to impart specialized training to its police personnel in commando operations, bomb disposal and other specialized operations such as nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.
Sources in the police department stated that terrorists attacks and disasters were looming large on the Tricity, it has become pertinent to impart training to its force enabled it to meet the challenge. He further said that during a meeting with the Western Command Headquarters and the IGP the following decisions have been taken.
It was decided that two companies of Indian Reserve Battalion would be trained over a period of two years in urban intervention and 10 police personnel would also be trained in IED course.
The IGP assured the Army authorities that the police personnel would be spared for the training and expenses incurred on their training would be paid to the Army, he added. The requisite information would be intimated to the Army in advance.
He further stated that the Chandigarh Administration will forward the training schedule to the Ministry of Home Affairs (BPR and D), New Delhi and a copy of the same to the HQ, Western Command. The training would be monitored by DGMT (MT 4). It was also decided that the training of police personnel shall be a continuous process so that force could meet the challenge effectively and efficiently. The training shall be monitored regularly.
The official also disclosed that the training of police personnel has been institutionalized and four –week training has been imparted to 20 police personnel in counter insurgency operations at Pathankot. Besides, 12 police personnel were imparted four weeks training in improvised explosive devices/bomb disposal at Jalandhar.
During the conference, the Chandigarh Administration and HQ Western Command had also discussed the issue of security of dams fall in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The Administration has stated the HQ Western Command may take up the issue with States concerned as no specific action was called for at the level of Chandigarh Administration. So the issue should be discussed with the governments of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi, the official revealed.