Team Blitz India
NATIONAL Security Advisor Ajit Doval has suggested that various Central armed police forces of the country should have “jointness” and interoperability among themselves like the ongoing plan for the defence forces.
He was speaking at the annual Rustomji lecture during the BSF’s 21st Investiture Ceremony. The about 10- lakh strength Central armed police forces include the BSF, CRPF, ITBP, CISF and SSB apart from the NDRF and NSG and they are deployed for rendering a variety of internal security duties in the hinterland and at the borders.
“This is just an idea. Should we think about the jointness in our CPOs (Central police organisations) — jointness where you can have interoperability. We are a huge force. We have got the same type of duties, intermingling duties at many places,” he said.
“In the defence forces it is being done now. We are thinking of theatre commands with a joint commander for the theatres. There could be one officer from the air force, who is probably controlling both the army and navy. It was more difficult because their equipment, doctrines, command and control system are different. Here (CPOs), it is almost similar,” said.
He added it was not about saving money but about bringing greater homogeneity. “Whenever a requirement is there — either in war or peace. If we must deploy 30 battalions of the CAPOs, in the borders, it does not matter if BSF forces are unavailable. CRPF could also do the same thing. They have also been trained.
Their equipment is the same. Even if there is one platoon of CRPF and two of BSF, it does not matter. They will march,” he said, adding this was his personal idea as a former police officer and as a man of security and not as an NSA.
