Bhubaneswar: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was preparing itself to take over the entire internal security management in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East, where the country has been facing the challenge of terrorism and insurgency, by the end of 2005, CRPF director general S C Chaube said.

The para-military force was raising 64 new battalions, modernising its weaponry, communication system and training at a cost of Rs 543 crore, Chaube added.

The decision to entrust the CRPF exclusively for management of internal security had been taken following the recommendation of the Group of Ministers, he said.

As a result, Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), presently deployed in Kashmir and North East would be relieved from that duty and would be solely responsible for guarding the country's borders.

Chaube said one battalion each of CRPF had been deployed in South and North Orissa to tackle the growing left wing extremism in those areas.

While one battalion was inducted to combat the extremists in the Southern Malkangiri and Rayagada districts, the other had been deployed in the Northern Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts in the third week of April, where the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) cadres had become active in recent times.

PTI