The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will initiate a month-long cyclothon, beginning from the eastern coast of Bengal and reaching the western coast of Gujarat.
Both male and female CISF personnel will ride bicycles along the Indian coastal route, stopping at 52 villages to promote awareness about coastal security among residents.
The purpose behind the initiative is to sensitise the youth and generate awareness about the central forces, whose duty mainly ranges from airports to seaports.
“We want to sensitise the youth in the rural areas and encourage them to join the forces. Be it any security agency. We also want to interact with them and know their problems in a better way,” said inspector general (CISF) Shikhar Sahai at the launch of the second edition of the CISF Vande Mataram Coastal Cyclothon on Monday.
The group of 130 CISF personnel will participate in the cyclothon. Half of the participants will be women.
The authorities have recognised 92 villages where the cyclists will establish camps during their cycling rally and connect with villagers along the coastal region.
The cyclothon will commence from Bakkhali in South 24-Parganas to cover the eastern coastal line; simultaneously, another group will start from Kachch’s Lakhpat Fort in Gujarat and will cover the western coastline.
The cyclothon covering a coastline of 6,500km over 25 days will commence on January 28 and end on February 22 at Kochi in Kerala. Cyclists from both eastern and western coastlines will meet at Kochi, said CISF officials.
Women’s battalion
The CISF is set to launch its first all-women battalion in Haryana’s Nuh, IG, CISF, said on Monday. “The women’s battalion will be engaged in duties that men do. We want to set an example that both are equally capable of carrying out the same duties,” said a senior official of CISF.