Peringom (Kerala): The CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) will become the world's largest central police force with a strength of more than 200 battalions in the next two years, director general Jyoti Kumar Sinha said on Friday (Oct 15, 2004).

To meet the growing demand of security operations, the CRPF is raising 64 new battalions, he said. Sinha was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a Rs 14.13 cr barrack to house 405 men at the training centre in Peringom, about 60 km from Kannur, in Kerala.

Seventeen battalions have already been raised in the last two years. The recruitment process for 22 new battalions in the current year is over, he said. "With the raising of 25 new battalions in next two years, the strength of the CRPF will be more than 200 battalions, which will make the force the largest central police force in the world," he said.

Sinha said new strategies were being evolved to thwart the increasing attacks on CRPF camps in Kashmir. As part of a plan to fight insurgency independently, the CRPF has taken up a five-year modernisation plan and started improving its weaponry, mobility, communication systems and training at an estimated cost of Rs 543 crore.

The Centre has agreed to allocate 7,000 acres of land across the country to meet the housing needs of the CRPF personnel, he added.