MHA to describe functioning of Assam Rifles to Parliamentary panel today

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will give a detailed description of the functioning of the Assam Rifles to a Parliamentary panel on today.

The 30-member committee under the chairmanship of senior lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal Abhishek Manu Singhvi will hear the views of MHA officials who will explain to the panel about the functioning of Assam Rifles.

The Assam Rifles has a sanctioned strength of over 63,000 personnel in 46 battalions apart from administrative and training staff. Assam Rifles is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) under the administrative control of the MHA.

The Rifles is tasked with the maintenance of law and order in the North East along with the Indian Army and also guards the Indo-Myanmar border in the region. The force is commanded by Lieutenant General from the Indian Army.

It needs mention here that the Assam Rifles was in limelight after the killing of over a dozen civilians in Mon district of Nagaland in December last year.

While the botched operation was launched by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, which has the responsibility of the area where the incident occurred, issued a statement later expressing regret over the loss of innocent lives. It also informed that the Indian Army had instituted an inquiry into the incident.

Assam Rifles is the only paramilitary force with a dual control structure. While the administrative control of the force is with the MHA, its operational control is with the Indian Army, which is under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The force is the only central paramilitary force in a real sense as its operational duties and regimentation are on the lines of the Indian Army.