CRPF Gets ₹4.54 Crore Winter Gear Fund for Troops in J&K’s Higher Reaches

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned more than ₹4.54 crore for special winter clothing and equipment for CRPF troops deployed at Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs) in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The funding will help around 600 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel stationed in difficult and snow-covered mountainous areas, where they carry out long-duration patrols, reconnaissance and counter-terrorism operations.

According to official sources cited by PTI, the funds were sanctioned a few weeks ago to purchase essential equipment, including snow boots, gaiters, sleeping bags, goggles, gloves, tents, insulating mats, rucksacks, blankets, thermal insoles and rescue bags.

The troops will also receive extreme cold-weather clothing developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under its Himsuraksha brand.

Funding Approved for Long-Duration Operations

Officials said the Ministry of Home Affairs gave complete authorisation in July to a CRPF proposal to procure the winter equipment.

Although many of these items had already been supplied to troops operating from the TOBs since last year, the latest funding is intended to ensure that personnel remain properly equipped for extended deployments in harsh weather conditions.

The equipment is expected to support troops during reconnaissance patrols, survival operations and counter-terrorism missions in the higher mountainous areas.

Officials said the equipment has an expected service life of around two years. The sanctioned amount can also be increased if additional equipment is required for fresh procurement.

CRPF Temporary Bases Above 6,000 Feet

The Temporary Operating Bases have been established at heights of more than 6,000 feet. These bases house CRPF commandos who conduct search and assault operations in remote mountainous areas.

Security forces have found that terrorists have used the difficult and snow-covered terrain of Jammu and Kashmir to hide before or after carrying out attacks in lower areas.

Many of these mountainous locations contain traditional dhoks, simple mud-and-stone huts used by shepherds, which can provide hiding places in remote areas.

The deployment of security forces at these heights is aimed at preventing terrorists from using the mountains as safe locations and improving the forces’ ability to track them.

55 Temporary Operating Bases Established

The CRPF established its first such temporary operating base in July 2025. According to the latest available information, the force has now established around 55 TOBs across the Jammu and Kashmir region.

Each TOB generally houses around 15 to 25 armed personnel and provides basic facilities for troops to rest and recover while maintaining operations in remote areas.

The creation of these bases allows security forces to remain closer to suspected infiltration routes, terrorist hideouts and difficult mountainous terrain instead of operating only from lower-altitude camps.

Link to Operation Mahadev

One of the CRPF’s TOBs was also used as a base during the operation that resulted in the killing of three terrorists linked to the April 2025 Pahalgam attack.

The mission, known as Operation Mahadev, began on May 22, 2025, as part of a wider security response following the deadly attack in Pahalgam.

On April 22, 2025, terrorists attacked tourists in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam, killing 26 people, most of them tourists.

The attackers were believed to have taken shelter in the higher reaches following the assault, highlighting the challenges faced by security forces in tracking terrorists across the mountainous terrain.

TOB Plan Had Been Under Consideration Since 2022-23

According to official sources, the plan to establish Temporary Operating Bases for CRPF commandos had been under consideration since 2022-23, similar to the forward positions maintained by the Army.

However, the bases became operational on a larger scale following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

The latest winter equipment funding is therefore aimed at strengthening the CRPF’s ability to maintain a sustained presence in some of Jammu and Kashmir’s most difficult and coldest operational areas.

With heavy snowfall and extreme temperatures making movement and survival difficult, officials believe specialised winter equipment will be essential for troops deployed at high-altitude TOBs during prolonged counter-terrorism operations.