Meghalaya recently got clearance from the Centre to form its very own special multi-task police force, which will be called Special Force 10, to deal with internal security challenges ranging from militancy to disaster management.

The strength of the force will be 1,795 including the supporting staff. One company of the battalion will be fully reserved for women. Multifaceted special trainings would be imparted to the commandos and the officers of the force to tackle any law and order situation.

The Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, “It was stressed that the state government must invest adequately to ensure that we are capable of addressing internal security issues. There is a need to strengthen the state’s internal security apparatus since law and order is the responsibility of the state government.”

Mukul said, in the past the state government had to “run from pillar to post” to convince the Centre to deploy paramilitary forces in the state during adverse situations. However, central forces deployed in the state were also withdrawn on short notice due to emergencies in other parts of the country, he said, adding that the state needed to have its own ‘special force’.

The Home Minister Roshan Warjri said the Special Force 10 would not only be tasked with counterinsurgency operations but would also be deployed to tackle riots, communal disharmony and various agitations.