Guwahati, April 15: Central Reserve Police Force director-general J.K. Sinha today met Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and requested him to make suitable arrangements for providing accommodation to CRPF personnel in the state.

The CRPF, which will take over the country’s internal security within the next two years, does not have enough accommodation for housing its personnel.

Sinha said the CRPF group centre at Amerigog in the city can provide family accommodation to only one battalion whereas five battalions are posted here. He said Gogoi has promised the force help in getting housing accommodation.

Sinha said this problem had been discussed with the state government on earlier occasions, but to no avail.

“We are interested in holding talks with housing boards in the state for accommodation for our personnel,” he said, adding that this would save the force not only time but money for buying land as well.

He disclosed that only 14 per cent of the personnel in the force had separate family accommodation, which is below the Centre’s norm of 25 per cent. A total number of 209 companies is now deployed in the Northeast.

He said a depot would also be set up in Guwahati shortly so that supplies like clothes and other necessary amenities can be sent directly to the personnel posted there.

The general practice has been for personnel of a battalion posted in Guwahati to visit the headquarters of that battalion to obtain supplies.

CRPF officials said the force would take over by 2005-06, for which 64 new battalions would be raised.

Seventeen battalions have already been raised during the past two years and the recruitment process is already on to raise 22 new battalions.

Sinha said 25 new battalions would be raised next year. As a result, the strength of CRPF battalions was going to cross 200.