New Delhi:
The Union government has given the nod to procure 100 medium bulletproof vehicles (MBPVs) for the safety of CRPF personnel in Kashmir and Naxal-infested areas.
Reports said the government will procure 141 vehicles– 100 out of which will be given to CRPF. The force will use these specialised vehicles to carry out law and order duties without the fear of getting ambushed.
As per a report in Times of India, 20 bulletproof vehicles would be handed over to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Chhattisgarh, 15 to Shashatra Seema Bal, 6 to CISF posted in Jammu and Kashmir. Rs 100 crore has already been sanction for the vehicles. The first batch will arrive in the next two months.
These vehicles would be able to protect occupants from an array of AK 47 fire– the weapons widely used by terrorists and Naxals. Major terror organizations like Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad use AK-47s. The vehicles will carry 10-12 troopers at one time.
Currently, due to the unavailability of such vehicles, paramilitary jawans use buses, tempos for travelling, exposing themselves to the enemy’s designs. Several attacks have occurred on such convoys. Recently, an anti-mine vehicle carrying CRPF soldiers was blown up by the Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.
