CRPF chief Kuldiep Singh on Thursday said he will hold himself responsible for delays in air-evacuation of injured personnel but pointed out that sometimes "practical difficulties" crop up in executing such operations in a timely manner in the Naxal theatre. Talking about a recent incident in which an injured Assistant Commandant Bibhor Kumar Singh had to undergo amputation of both his legs post a blast in an anti-Naxal operation in Gaya due to delayed evacuation for over seven hours, Singh said "why the helicopter could not evacuate the officer or during other operations is a big technical issue".
"If you ask who is responsible for this, I would hold myself responsible, it is my responsibility to ensure helicopters are provided to troops because it is me who directs and motivates troops to go out for operations.
If anyone is to be blamed, it is me. I cannot blame anyone else," Singh told a press conference ahead of the Force’s 83rd raising day on Saturday.
"But I can tell you that pilots and agencies operating sorties in these (Left-Wing Extremism) areas are professionals. There are practical difficulties in conducting these air evacuation operations," he said.
The force regularly takes up issues related to concerns over delay in evacuation by air with the top brass of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Border Security Force (BSF), which operate helicopters for aiding ground troops fighting Naxalism, he further said. Earlier, the parade was generally held in the national capital and on a few occasions it was organised at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh where the Force was originally headquartered after its creation by the British Government in 1939 as Crown Representative Police.
Talking about the Bihar incident, the DG said Assistant Commandant Bibhor Kumar Singh could not be evacuated for better treatment as pilots did not fly at night from Gaya to Ranchi but the next day they sent an air ambulance to airlift him to Delhi for admission to AIIMS.
"We also feel sad, the families of the injured or slain troops are anguished but I can tell you it is not exactly someone's fault, '' the DG said.He said that logistical, maintenance and other issues came in the way of having a "dedicated" air wing exclusively within CRPF.