AGARTALA: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned one additional battalion of the elite Tripura State Rifles, increasing the total number of TSR battalions in the state to 16. According to officials, the new unit will be raised under the India Reserve category, strengthening Tripura's contribution to national security and law enforcement duties across the country.
In a letter sent to the Tripura Chief Secretary, the Union Home Ministry stated that the Centre would provide one-time financial assistance of Rs 50 crore for raising the new battalion. In addition, the Centre will reimburse infrastructure-related expenditure, including the construction of the battalion headquarters and other facilities, up to a maximum of Rs 30 crore. However, the Tripura government will have to provide land free of cost, as land expenses will not be covered under the reimbursement policy.
The ministry also clarified that reimbursement would only be made after submission of utilisation certificates and all required documents under the General Financial Rules. The Centre has laid down eight conditions that the state government must strictly follow while establishing the new battalion.
With this addition, 13 of the 16 TSR battalions will fall under the India Reserve category. These battalions can be deployed anywhere in the country for security, election duties, law and order management, and anti-insurgency operations whenever required by the Union Home Ministry.
At present, two TSR battalions with around 2,000 personnel are deployed outside Tripura. One battalion has been stationed with the Delhi Police since 2019, while another has been working with South Eastern Coalfields Limited in Chhattisgarh since 2022. Another battalion is currently providing security to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation drilling sites in Tripura.
TSR personnel have also been regularly deployed for election duties across India. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, they served in Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh. Ten companies were recently sent to Assam and West Bengal for election-related duties.
Known for their professionalism and counter-insurgency expertise, TSR personnel played a major role in controlling Tripura's long-running insurgency and restoring peace and stability in the northeastern state. (IANS)
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