Agartala, May 15: In a major boost to Tripura’s security infrastructure, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the raising of an additional India Reserve (IR) Battalion for the state.

The decision was communicated to the Tripura Chief Secretary through an official letter issued by the Under Secretary to the Government of India.

As part of the approval, the Centre will provide a one-time financial assistance of Rs. 50 crore for establishing the new battalion under the Tripura State Rifles (TSR).

The MHA stated that the Centre would retain the “first call” authority over the battalion, enabling the Government of India to deploy the force anywhere across the country whenever necessary.

The battalion may be assigned duties such as counter-insurgency operations, border security, and other internal security responsibilities. The state government will be required to make the battalion available whenever requisitioned by the Centre.

According to the communication, recruitment for the new IR Battalion will be carried out by a Selection Board constituted by the state government. The board will be headed by an officer of Additional Director General (ADG) rank from the state, along with an Inspector General (IG) level officer from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

The MHA has directed the state government to complete the recruitment and raising process within two years from the date of sanction.

The Centre has also asked the state government to submit quarterly progress reports detailing the status of the battalion’s formation, including recruitment, infrastructure development, and other milestones achieved during the process.