Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid down the foundation stone for the new headquarters building of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Sunday in Delhi and said that the government is determined to take care of the families of the personnel while they guard the nation.

Shah also said that the government is working to ensure that every paramilitary personnel gets to spend at least 100 days with their family. Further, the minister also said that the health card facility will also be provided to their families.

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“If we do all these things, and jawan starts spending 100 out of 365 days with his family, he will be able to meet obligations to his family as well as social responsibilities in a proper way,” Shah asserted.

On health checkup of CRPF personnel, Shah said, “Not only a trooper but also his wife, children and parents will also get the benefits being provided by the Central government.”

“They will be given a health card and all the parameters will be mentioned in this card. The Home Ministry is working on it in coordination with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),” he added.

He also appealed to state governments to provide such cards to security personnel in their states.

Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted a ‘sutra’ (formula) that ‘you protect the country and we will protect your family as well as reduce your tension’.

He said the government has come up with several welfare schemes for the families of these personnel and Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla are working on it.

Amit Shah also mentioned the 2019 Pulwama attack which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel by saying, “It is government’s responsibility to protect security personnel from any unexpected attack and the air travel facility for the armed forces to help in increasing their morale.”

On the occasion of laying the foundation stone of the new headquarters, Shah said, “When the force will get the building equipped with all facilities, it will help to increase their ability, vigilance, and alertness while performing their duty.”

He also told that the new headquarters would be constructed on a ‘green building model’ and also pointed the need for a new headquarter to the 3.5 lakh strong force.

The new headquarters will come upon a 2.23-acre land adjacent to the CBI head office at Lodhi Road at an estimated cost of Rs 277 crore.

The tender to construct the headquarters was entrusted to CPWD by 2022. The new facility is to have ground plus 11 floors with auditorium, conference hall, barracks for subordinate staff, central police canteen, gymnasium, guest room, kitchen and dining room and mechanical parking for 520 cars and 15 buses.

On the 6th and 7th floor of the building, skywalks would be created connecting the office blocks with cafeteria. The building is proposed to have a water and sewage treatment plant, rain water harvesting system and an indigenous ventilation system.

Currently, the CRPF headquarters is located at Block No 1 in the Central Government Offices (CGO) complex on Lodhi Road. But its different offices of RAF, CoBRA, medical, training, communications, and works and recruitment are located at different locations in the city due to lack of space in the current building.

(With inputs from agencies)