Bhubaneswar, June 23: The state government today introduced the Odisha Swift Action Force, a specialised wing on the lines of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), for crowd control during major festivals and combat operations during crisis situations, including terror attacks.
Around 316 personnel, including 20 women, drawn from the armed police battalions and the district police forces, have been inducted into the wing, which will make its debut during this year's chariot festival that begins on June 25.
The members of the swift action force received specialised training at the RAF Academy of Public Order in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The personnel had also gone to Madhya Pradesh for specialised training.
The members of the force, which has "We Serve, We Protect" as its motto, have undergone specialised training in handling modern assault rifles such as the AK-47, MP5 and Insas. A new dress code has also been designed for the special force - dark blue uniform with black shoes and helmet.
"We often depend on the Union government for the deployment of RAF for maintenance of serious law and order situations. Raising of the Odisha Swift Action Force will bridge the critical requirement of an elite force to deal with serious law and order situations," said chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who was present at the inauguration ceremony.
"I am sure that the Odisha Swift Action Force will serve the purpose of its formation by intervening in crisis situations in the quickest possible manner," the chief minister said.
The state government has left no stone unturned to equip the new battalion and has provided riot control gear, weapons and tear gas shells, besides portable fire extinguishers, water cannons and anti-riot guns. The three companies of the force would be stationed in Cuttack, Balasore and Rourkela under the command and control of the commandants of the Odisha State Armed Police.
The state police currently have two specialised wings - the Special Tactical Unit to deal with terrorists and the Special Operations Group that is engaged in anti-Maoist operations. Both the units have served in Puri during the annual chariot festival and will be in the city for this year's festival as well.
Additional chief secretary of the home department, Asit Tripathy, said members of the specialised wing have been trained to exercise maximum restraint. "The force was needed need to deal with crowds and maintaining law and order during riots," said Tripathy.
While the state has not faced situations of terrorist activities, the arrest of an alleged recruiter of the al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent from Cuttack in december 2015 as well as five operatives of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in February 2016 had acted as a wake-up call for the state police.
The arrested SIMI operatives were on the most wanted list of the National Investigation Agency and had taken shelter in the state for more than five months before being apprehended.
