Govt denies media reports of ill-equipped CRPF personnel

New Delhi, Apr 9 (PTI) Government of India on Friday
termed as "incorrect" and "baseless" media reports claiming
the Central Reserve Police Force personnel killed in the
ambush by Naxals at Dantewada did not undergo training and
were ill-equipped.
"Reports have appeared in the media that 'A' company (45
men), 'C' company (12 men) and 'G' company (15 men) of the
62nd Battalion of the CRPF that undertook the Area Domination
(AD) Operations exercise out of the base camp at Chintalnar,
district Dantewada, Chhattisgarh had not undergone training.
These reports are incorrect and baseless," MHA spokesman said
here.
He said 'A'company has undergone pre-induction training
from May 25,2009 to June 21, 2009 and anti-Naxal training from
February 8, 2010 to March 25, 2010.
Whereas 'C' company underwent the pre-induction training
from May 25, 2009 to June 21, 2009 and 'G' company from
February 28, 2009 March 8, 2009, the official said.
"Pre-induction training was imparted with specific
reference to the area in which they were to be inducted.
Anti-Naxal training is more intensive training.
'C' company and 'G' company will undergo anti-Naxal
training when their turn comes in the cycle," the spokesman
said adding, "all three companies were well-equipped."
Maoists had on Tuesday killed 75 CRPF personnel and one
Chhattisgarh policeman in a surprise attack in Dantewada
district in central India.
The three companies lost six INSAS LMGs, 42 INSAS rifles,
seven SLRs, 17 AK rifles, one each carbine, 2 inch mortar and
a 51 inch mortar, he said.
"As regards training capacity, CRPF has CIAT schools in
Silchar and Shivpuri with an annual capacity to train 1,829
personnel and 750 personnel respectively.
"Four more ad-hoc training schools are being set up, one
of which will be for the CRPF. Twenty more CIAT schools, with
a total annual capacity of 18,000 personnel, are being set up
in five States with MHA's assistance and one of them has been
completed and is operational in Orissa," the official said.
He added, the Army has trained 10 Battalions of CRPF, 10
Battalions of Border Security Force and 5 Battalions of
Indo-Tibetan Border Police prior to their induction in
Naxal-affected states.
Earlier Friday, Home Minister P Chidambaram in a CRPF
function here said, "...Anyone who puts pen to paper, writes
these words certainly has no heart and no conscience.
"Very little is written about the valour, very little is
written about the bravery. Very little is written about that
even when they came in the ambush, the companies managed to
kill eight Naxalites as intelligence reports and other reports
tell us today," he said.
Chidambaram also offered to quit as Home Minister in the
wake of the attacks, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh turned
down his resignation. PTI AKV
RBT


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