Centre establishes counter-insurgency, anti-terrorist schools in Odisha: MHA to Rajya Sabha

Three counter-insurgency and anti-terrorist schools have been established by the government in Odisha to train police officers, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In response to a question about whether the National Bureau of Police Research and Development (NBPR&D) has thought of establishing a Central Detective Training School in Odisha to enhance State Police training techniques while investigating and handling cases in Left Wing Extremist (LWE) areas due to a high incidence of LWE insurgency in the state, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanad Rai wrote a written reply. “There is no proposal by the Bureau of Police Research and Development to set up a Central Detective Training Institute in Odisha. However, the Government has set up Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorist Schools for training police personnel. Three such schools have been set up in Odisha,” said the MoS. During the 11th Plan period, a scheme was approved to establish 20 Counter Insurgency and Anti Terrorist Schools (CIATSs), at a cost of Rs 52.40 crores, four in each of the states of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha, to strengthen the training inputs in the states affected by insurgency and terrorism. 75,000 police officers were probably going to receive training in these schools to fight terrorism and naxalism. Large-scale, permanent structures are not needed for the proposed training, which would primarily take place outside. The majority of the infrastructure needed is only temporary. This MHA’s contribution to the programme will mostly go towards funding the creation of CIAT Schools, ongoing expenses associated with them, and equipment upgrades. The relevant state governments are responsible for providing the land for these schools. They will also assist with administrative tasks related to managing the CIAT Schools. In order to accomplish this, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and the relevant state will sign Memorandums of Understandings (MOUs). (With agency inputs)