By IANS,
Ranchi : Two battalions of the Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) comprising former armymen will be raised in Jharkhand to protect industries and banks in the state, an official said Tuesday.
“The cabinet has approved a proposal to raise two SAP battalions. Initially, ex-armymen will be appointed on contract of two years and later it could be extended for five years. These forces will be deployed both at banks and industrial units,” Sudhir Tripathy, state home secretary, told IANS.
The banks and industries will pay the salaries of the SAP personnel.
More than 55 bank robberies have taken place since the formation of the state in November 2000. In more than 22 cases, Maoists, who are active in 18 of the 24 districts of the state, raided banks and escaped with money without any resistance.