Elite Tripura troopers to provide security during CWG

AGARTALA - Tripura State Rifles (TSR) troopers, specialised in combat actions, will help in providing security during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi following a request from the union home ministry, a top official said here Sunday.

“Following the request from the union home ministry, one battalion (around 1,000 troopers) of TSR is expected to take up security-related responsibility during the Commonwealth Games,” Director General of Tripura police Pranay Sahaya told IANS.

He said: “The TSR jawans, led by senior officials, would be posted in and around the Games venues and Games village on Sep 15. They would remain there till Oct 20.”

The Games will take place Oct 3-14 in New Delhi.

“The state government quickly responded to the home ministry’s request to position the India Reserve Battalion of TSR to give protection during the sports event,” the Tripura police chief said.

The TSR was constituted in 1984 to counter terrorism in the northeastern state - 75 percent of its troopers are from Tripura while the remaining are from across the country. At present, there are 13 TSR battalions in Tripura.

Of the 13 battalions, nine are Indian Reserve Battalions category, which means they can be deployed anywhere in India as and when required.

The DGP said that due to its success, skill and accountability towards people’s safety, the TSR has been perceived as a model force by various Central Para Military Force (CPMF) and various state governments.

“Till now TSR troopers have successfully discharged election-related duties in many states in India, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal,” Sahaya said, adding that the combat force has been playing a crucial role in curbing militancy in the northeastern state.

“The TSR’s formation and training have been modelled on the Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam Rifles. Over the years, the elite state force has increasingly become a key combatant force to flush out over the three-decade-old militancy from this mountainous state, bordering Bangladesh,” the senior IPS officer said.

TSR runs its own counter-insurgency and jungle guerrilla warfare institute at Kachucherra in Dhalai district in northern Tripura, similar to the army’s Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) at Vairengte in western Mizoram.

Troopers of the TSR a few months back had bagged all the 14 top positions in the Police Commando Instructor Course (PCIC) at the National Security Guards (NSG) campus in Manesar, Haryana.

“The daredevil TSR troopers bagged all 14 top positions in the 75-day course held at the NSG academy in Manesar,” Deputy Inspector General Nepal Das said.

“The TSR jawans outshone their counterparts from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Orissa, Assam, Delhi and Chhattisgarh in quick shooting, commando actions, running and other events.”