Officials at the Home Ministry said formation of the RISF was delayed as the Home Ministry and the Finance Ministry were at odds over which ministry should command and control the new force. [break]
While the Finance Ministry demanded that an AIG-led new force be controlled directly by it, the Home Ministry rejected the proposal outright, arguing that it was not practicable to create dual leadership.
"The Finance Ministry officials are now persuaded that it is not feasible to have the RISF chain of command under that ministry. Now, the process for recruiting 2,250 personnel for the Revenue and Industrial Security Force under the Home Ministry has moved ahead," said a senior official at the Home Ministry.
The Finance Ministry had long been demanding a separate police wing that could be mobilized in support of revenue or custom officials on a real time basis. "We have reached an understanding with the Finance Ministry that there will be a separate police wing working directly in support of customs and revenue officials. But it will still be under the Home Ministry´s chain of command," the official further said.
The idea of a revenue and industrial security police force was mooted a few years back amid growing instances of industrial shutdown and threats to entrepreneurs. But it could not materialize as industrialists were not ready to share the expenses involved in forming and mobilizing such a force.
The APF currently has a total strength of 31,265. This paramilitary force has been given a mandate for various policing activities such as the security of VIPs and vital installations and facilities as well as containing riots and public unrest. With the formation of a separate RISF wing, the APF will now have the added mandate of assisting in revenue collection and providing security for customs facilities as well as industries.
APF Spokesperson DIG Narayan Babu Thapa said a formal decision on the recruitment of RISF personnel is yet to be taken. "The RISF wing will be under the APF chain of command. The Home Ministry will decide where and how to mobilize the RISF, on the basis of the needs of the Finance Ministry," he said.
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