Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed the CRPF to undertake"effective and decisive action" against urban Naxals as well as terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir as he made his maiden visit to the headquarters of the paramilitary force here on Friday, officials said. Here viewed the overall preparedness and deployment of the over three-lakh-strong force during the more-than-two-hour-long meeting at the CGO Complex on Lodhi Road, they said.

Shah directed the force "to carry out an effective anddecisive campaign against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) operatives in the next sixmonths", they said.He also asked the force to take action "againsturban Naxals and their facilitators", they said.

While discussing the security scenario in the newly createdUnion Territory of Jammu-Kashmir, Shah asked the CRPF to undertake civic actionprogrammes besides organising sports and tours for locals and youngsters.CRPF shouldalso reach out to the villagers and assist them in obtaining the benefits ofthe many central schemes which they are eligible for, the officials said.

The minister directed the force to ensure "properwinter provisioning" for the troops and that their welfare should belooked after.The force, post the abrogation of the special status of theerstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, has sent in additionaltroops and has over 1 lakh personnel in the Valley at present.

Officials said the requirement of infrastructure andequipment was also discussed during the meeting and a presentation was made bysenior CRPF officers including Director General R R Bhatnagar.While reviewingthe Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) theatre, they said, the minister talked aboutimproving infrastructure of the force camps and measures against improvisedexplosive devices.

Shah emphasised that road connectivity and medicalinfrastructure in LWE areas should be upgraded.Subject of welfare of the troopswas also part of the discussions and the minister directed that the health ofthe jawans and their families should be looked after well.

He asked the force to ensure that jawans and their familieshave digital health-cards and that there should be periodical health checks fortheir families.The minister directed that senior officers should visit thefamilies of personnel who were killed in the line of duty and spend time withthem understanding their requirements, they said.A database should also be madeof the martyrs families and their basic issues and grievances should besystematically addressed, Shah told the CRPF officials.

The minister expressed concern about the hard and longdeployment of jawans in difficult theatres and discussed various measures forgiving them relief and an opportunity to stay with their families.Shah, theofficials said, directed that the building and residential infrastructure ofthe force should be improved and more houses at different duty locations ofCRPF should be constructed.

Cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art equipmentshould be identified which are required for operational purposes along withpromoting the 'Make in India' initiative.He asked that the force should useKhadi and indigenously made products, they said.The minister also posted somephotographs of the visit on his official Twitter handle and said the country isproud of the "exemplary valour" of the paramilitary force'spersonnel.The Central Reserve Police Force is designated as the lead force forinternal security duties and anti-naxal operations.

"CRPF personnel have always lived up to their motto of'sewa' and 'nishtha' (service and dedication) by protecting our nation (whileposted) at different terrains. I salute the courage and bravery of CRPFpersonnel and their families," Shah said in a tweet.During the initialpart of the visit, Shah paid tributes to the force personnel killed in the lineof duty and put a garland around an urn containing the soil from the 'SardarPost' in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch. The urn is kept at the headquarter'sentrance.

In 1965, the force was tasked to secure the post in the wakeof aggressive posturing by Pakistan.

On the intervening night of April 8 and 9 that year, 3,500men of Pakistan's 51st Infantry Brigade, comprising the 18 Punjab Battalion,the 8 Frontier Rifles and the 6 Baluch Battalion, stealthily launchedsimultaneous assaults on the Sardar and Tak posts under an operation code-named"Desert Hawk".The retaliation by the CRPF saw the numerically andarmament superior Pakistan army retreating and leaving behind 34 bodies oftheir soldiers, including those of two officers.

Shah said the young generation should be made aware aboutthis story of valour. The country will be "forever indebted" to thetroops who made the supreme sacrifice, the minister said.This was the firsttime Shah, who became home minister in the Modi government's second term,visited the head office of the country's largest paramilitary force.

Shah was also accorded the guard of honour on arrival.