CRPF gets FICCI award for its work in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit areas

NEW DELHI: Three CRPF initiatives aimed at helping local communities in and around the area of their deployment — including a dedicated helpline for Kashmiris in distress and its civic action programme in Chhattisgarh — have bagged FICCI ‘smart policing’ awards.
The awards were presented by Union minister Jitendra Singh at a homeland security event organised by trade body along with Vivekananda International Foundation here.
One of the FICCI 'smart policing' awardees — the CRPF Institute of IED Management, Pune — was honoured for doing exemplary work in training and tooling its own personnel as well as those from other police agencies in detecting, defusing and disposing of IEDs, thus saving precious human lives and property. Founded in 2012, the institute is credited with curbing IED blasts to a large extent: the year 2018 witnessed 18 IED blasts and 162 IED recoveries.
Sudhir Kumar, the commandant of CRPF’s 85th battalion deployed in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, received the Special Jury award on behalf of his personnel for initiating people-friendly work in regions hit by Maoist violence and effectively implementing government’s flagship welfare schemes in Bastar region of the state.
The officer is credited with launching the ‘bike ambulance’ to ferry the sick and injured in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas. He has also deputed his officers to teach children in regions that face acute shortage of regular primary teachers.
Few locals who suffered amputation of limbs due to Naxal-triggered landmine blasts were provided prosthetic legs by Kumar's battalion by effectively utilising government funds, according to a PTI report.
Yet another award went to CRPF’s special ‘madadgaar’ helpline — 1441 — for helping thousands of Kashmiris in distress. On receiving of a call, the ‘madadgaar' rushes soldiers of the paramilitary to not only donate blood or rescue those trapped in an accident, but also to deliver medicines, food, cash and helps poor patients to undergo dialysis and other costly medical procedures. The helpline has received thousands of calls following the imposition of curbs in the Valley in the wake of withdrawal of special status to J&K.
The award for ‘madadgaar’ initiative was received by CRPF assistant commandant Gul Junaid Khan who handles the helpline with a dedicated team of his 15 personnel in Srinagar.
Among the other police agencies given ‘smart policing’ awards were Kerala police for its counter-radicalisation programme. UP police bagged Special Jury award for its Kumbh mela 'bandobast' and VVIP duty management.