NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the Central Reserve Police Force has taken up the initiative to extend support in cleaning the holy Ganges, and 1500 CRPF personnel will be cleaning the various banks of the river along cities such as Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna and others.
The force will begin with the cleaning drive along the banks of the river from Saturday. Mr Singh said that the force was not only involved in fighting terrorism and left wing extremism, but also played several important roles such ensuring peaceful proceeding of elections, being the nodal agency for it.
He also said that the force played an important role in bringing down the incidents in the LWE areas. During his address at the 79th Anniversary of the force and the raising day parade at the CRPF Academy in Gurugram, the Home Minister asserted that there has been a visible reduction of the Maoist activities in the country adding that the left wing extremism is now in its last leg.
Describing CRPF as an embodiment of bravery, he said,”no bullet can tear through the bodies of the soldiers. ” On the occasion, he also presented medals and citations to the kins of martyrs and other personnel of the force for their commendable performance.
He also urged the Force to inform the people of Government’s development programmes while highlighting anti-development activities of the Maoists.
On the occasion, he also condoled the death of nine CRPF personnel in the IED blast in Sukhma. Speaking on the occasion, Director General CRPF Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar said that due to the active involvement of the force in the J & K and the LWE region , as many as 172 terrorists were neutralised in the past one year.
Mr Bhatnagar also said that the force will begin with the Ganga cleaning drive from Saturday onwards. (AGENCIES)