Now Reading: Bihar Police to set up anti-riot force in all 49 districts
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Bihar Police to set up anti-riot force in all 49 districts
Bihar Police will constitute a District Anti-Riot Force (DARF) across all districts to handle communal tensions, protests, attacks on government property and other emergencies, according to an official order issued on Wednesday.
Each anti-riot company will have three platoons of 47 personnel each, including tear-gas and lathi teams, armed forces, drivers and wireless operators. The state is divided into three categories A, B and C, with 49 companies formed and supported by 294 vehicles. Patna gets three companies, 11 districts get two each, 21 Category B districts get one company and six vehicles, six Category C districts get one platoon and two vehicles.
District control rooms will ensure the force reaches any riot spot within 20 minutes. Personnel will undergo one month of specialised training at district police centres, with selected trainers trained at the Rapid Action Force Academy in Meerut. A one-week refresher course will be held every three months for each platoon.
Indian Opinion Analysis
This is the first time Bihar has created a dedicated district-level anti-riot structure, moving away from ad hoc deployment of general duty police. The 49-company force, with 294 vehicles, represents a significant recurring expenditure on salaries, training and maintenance. The 20-minute response time target is ambitious given Bihar's road infrastructure in rural areas. The one-month training and quarterly refreshers will test the capacity of district police centres. The next indicator to watch is the recruitment and training completion timeline for the first companies, and whether the force is deployed before the 2025 Bihar assembly elections.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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