New Delhi: Centre on August 19 gave the order to immediately withdraw about 10000 paramilitary personnel. The troops will be withdrawn from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
This decision came from the Centre after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) took stock of the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the Union Territory.
Earlier in May, the MHA had withdrawn 10 CAPF companies from the Union Territory. Also, the MHA withdrew about 72 units from the UT in December 2019.
The 10000 paramilitary personnel (100 Companies) will return to their base locations in the country.
20 companies each of the CISF, the BSF, and the SSB will withdraw troops from Jammu and Kashmir. 40 companies of the CRPF will also withdraw from the UT. By the end of the week, the withdrawal will commence.
After the withdrawal, the CRPF will have a strength of about 60 battalions in the Kashmir valley. Also there few units of CAPFs in the valley.
Regarding the withdrawal, a senior CAPF officer also stated:
“The units that are being withdrawn are deployed both in Jammu and Srinagar. It was felt that the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist grid is intact in the UT. These additional units that were sent in last year can be de-inducted. This will give them the much-required rest, recuperation, and training.”
“With the winters soon setting in, it will be a burdensome task to keep these units in make-shift and temporary dwellings.” The senior official also added.
This is the biggest removal of forces after the revocation of Article 370. Post the revocation of Article 370, additional troops rushed to the UT.
Article 370 of the Constitution gave the erstwhile state a unique status.
