New Delhi, Aug 9: The Union Home Ministry has sanctioned special funds for winter clothing and equipment for CRPF personnel deployed at Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs) in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The move comes after the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and is aimed at strengthening the operational preparedness of troops deployed in difficult, high-altitude terrain.
According to official sources, more than Rs 4.54 crore has been allocated to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to procure essential equipment for around 600 personnel stationed at these posts.
The equipment includes gaiters, sleeping bags, snow boots, goggles, extreme cold weather clothing developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Himsuraksha brand, insulating mats, rucksacks, gloves, tents, thermal insoles, blankets and rescue bags.
Most of these items have already been supplied to troops deployed at the TOBs since last year. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs in July granted complete authorisation to a CRPF proposal for procurement to ensure that personnel are adequately equipped for prolonged reconnaissance patrols, survival and counter-terror operations in the higher reaches, the sources said.
The equipment has an estimated service life of about two years, and the allocation can be revised upwards for fresh procurement, they added.
The TOBs have been established at elevations above 6,000 feet and accommodate CRPF personnel involved in search and assault operations against terrorists hiding in remote areas, including 'dhoks' — traditional mud-and-stone huts.
Security agencies have found that terrorists often use snow-covered and difficult mountainous terrain to hide before or after carrying out attacks in the plains. The deployment of CRPF and Army personnel at these locations is aimed at preventing such movement and strengthening surveillance.
The CRPF began establishing its first such rock-and-mortar base in July 2025. According to the latest data, the force has set up 55 TOBs across the Jammu and Kashmir regions. Each post generally accommodates around 15 to 25 armed personnel and provides basic facilities for rest and recuperation.
One of the CRPF's TOBs was used as a base during the operation in July 2025 that led to the elimination of three terrorists allegedly responsible for the Pahalgam attack. The operation was named 'Operation Mahadev'.
The operation began on May 22, 2025, as part of a security strategy formulated following the April 22 terror attack in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
Officials said the proposal to establish TOBs for CRPF commandos, on the lines of similar Army deployments, had been under consideration since 2022-23. However, the bases were made operational following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack.
