New Delhi, February 18Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today visited injured CRPF Commanding Officer Chetan Kumar Cheetah and enquired about his health at the AIIMS Trauma Centre here. Cheetah had sustained grievous injuries in an encounter with militants in North Kashmir on February 14, following which he was airlifted to AIIMS, where he is battling for life.General Rawat visited Cheetah in the afternoon and enquired about his health from the doctors attending on him, AIIMS sources said. Yesterday, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju visited the centre to enquire about the condition of the injured CRPF officer. — PTI

ITBP to man Myanmar border? Cabinet security panel to decide

Assam Rifles may soon be replaced with the force guarding China border

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 18

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police may soon replace Assam Rifles on the Myanmar border as the Home Ministry has referred a related proposal to the Cabinet Committee on Security for its approval.Sources in the Home Ministry said the step was being taken in view of the recent unrest in Manipur as well as to allow free movement of people up to 16 km on either side of the border with Myanmar. The proposal to replace Assam Rifles with some other paramilitary force has been under consideration for long. The government had even constituted a task, headed by Joint Intelligence Committee Chairman RN Ravi, to work out the modalities. The panel had expressed concern over the infiltration of militants into India from their bases in Myanmar.The sources said the panel recommended replacing the Assam Rifles with ITBP, which had vast experience in guarding international border with China.In its report, the panel is learnt to have argued in the ITBP’s favour mainly on two counts: experience in dealing with border areas and the force requires its presence in plains so that it can rotate its personnel.The Home Ministry proposal, said sources, also stressed on streamlining the functioning of the Assam Rifles. At present, the force is under the administrative control of the Home Ministry while its operational control lies with the Defence Ministry. The dual control is learnt to be creating serious problems for the force’s smooth functioning and experts have suggested that it be brought under a single ministry.

For Free movement

• The Centre has mooted a proposal to allow free movement up to 16 km on either side of the border with Myanmar
• There will be marked points to cross over, to be manned by security personnel
• Computerised records of all those crossing over will be kept to ensure they return within stipulated period
• A record of their photos will also be maintained to facilitate proper identification