The Central Government on Wednesday, August 19, has ordered an "immediate" withdrawal of around 10,000 paramilitary forces from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The said decision was taken after the Ministry of Home Affairs reviewed the deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the UT.
The companies of paramilitary personnel to be taken out of Jammu and Kashmir by this week include 40 companies of CRPF and 20 each of the BSF, CISF and SSB from the Kashmir Valley, officials said.
A top official said that a total of 100 CAPF companies have been ordered to be withdrawn "immediately" and revert to their base locations in the country from where they were mobilised to the UT post the abrogation of Article 370 last year.
Biggest de-induction of these security forces since abrogation of the Article 370
This is the biggest de-induction of these security forces after additional troops were rushed to the UT post the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution last August that gave the erstwhile state a unique status.
A CAPF company has an operational strength of about 100 personnel.
The home ministry had last withdrawn about 10 CAPF companies from the UT in May.
With the latest de-induction, the CRPF will have a strength of about 60 battalions (about 1,000 personnel in each battalion) in the Kashmir Valley apart from very few units of other CAPFs.
(With agency inputs)
