New Delhi: More than 204 police personnel, including Manipur’s Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, were chosen on Tuesday for the Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal for the year 2023.
Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Amit Kumar, who has served in different capacities in Jammu and Kashmir and is currently posted in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), is also in the list approved by Home Minister Amit Shah.
Singh, who was given the responsibility of the chief of the Manipur Police after ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state in May, was chosen for the award for his exemplary performance in his previous role as the inspector general of the CRPF.
He is credited to have led the CRPF battalions that flushed out Maoists from the inaccessible areas of Budha Pahar, Chakrabandha and Bhimabandh in Jharkhand last year and the subsequent establishment of security forces’ camps in these areas.
A huge quantity of arms and ammunition was also found by the CRPF during the operation.
The 204 police personnel chosen for the honour belong to three central organisations — CRPF, National Investigation Agency and Narcotics Control Bureau — and 10 states, according to an official statement.
The states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, West Bengal and Uttarakhand.
The medal was constituted in 2018 with the objective of recognising operations that involve a high degree of planning, hold relevance for the security of the country, states and Union territories and have a significant impact on the security of larger sections of the society.
The award is conferred for special operations in areas such as counter-terrorism, border action, arms control, prevention of narcotics smuggling and rescue operations, the statement said.
It is announced on October 31 every year.
In a year, normally three special operations are considered for the award and in extraordinary circumstances, the award may be given up to five special operations to encourage the police forces in the states and Union territories.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)