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Tripura to Get New IR Battalion With Rs 50 Crore Central Aid

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
  • May 16, 2026
  • 468

The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the formation of a new India Reserve Battalion (IR Battalion) in Tripura to further strengthen the state’s security infrastructure and law enforcement capabilities.

According to an official directive issued with the approval of the President of India, the Centre will provide one-time financial assistance of Rs 50 crore for raising the new battalion. In addition, the Central Government will bear an extra expenditure of up to Rs 30 crore for the development of essential infrastructure related to the force.

However, the Tripura government will have to provide the required land free of cost for setting up the battalion and related facilities.

The directive, signed by Santosh Kumar, Under Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, has already been forwarded to the Tripura Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police for necessary action and implementation.

The notification stated that the new IR Battalion will be constituted in accordance with the standards and operational guidelines prescribed by the Central Government, including provisions related to arms, ammunition and force structure.

Officials said that while the Centre will provide initial financial assistance for establishing the battalion, the recurring annual expenditure, including salaries and maintenance costs, as well as the remaining infrastructure expenses, will have to be borne by the Tripura government.

The guidelines also specify that the Central Government will retain the “first call” over the force. This means that whenever required, the Centre can direct the state government to deploy the battalion in any part of the country for national security duties.

The newly sanctioned force is expected to play a significant role in counter-terrorism operations, counter-insurgency activities and border security management, particularly in sensitive and strategic regions.

As per the operational guidelines, at least 25 percent of the battalion personnel will receive specialised training as part of special task force units so that they can effectively operate in insurgency-hit and terror-affected areas.

The training programme will be conducted in coordination with the Central Armed Police Forces, while the expenditure for the initial phase of training will be borne by the concerned CAPFs.