Tripura State Rifles (TSR) officers and soldiers donated blood during a blood donation camp while a mega health and eye donation camp were organized in the remote Chachu village in Mohanpur sub-division of West Tripura.
The first battalion of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) organised the health camp under its civic action programme and in association with Shanti Kali Sewa Ashram.
The programme, which aimed to reach out to the people of remote tribal localities and facilitate them with various all round development items, was inaugurated by the health minister of the state Badal Chowdhury.
TSR is basically a counter insurgency force that played the most crucial role in bringing back peace and tranquillity in the state of Tripura and is also dedicated to the service of the people.
Over 100 bottles of blood were collected during the camp today which will be used to save the lives of needy patients at civil hospital.
Moreover, the camp was being organised to spread awareness about the killer disease, HIV-AIDS, among TSR soldiers.
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The programme is scheduled to continue throughout the month in different TSR battalions as the state during this time of the year passes through a crisis of blood.
Meanwhile, the battalion in the mega health camp made arrangements for health and eye check-ups.
Doctors and medical staff attended to more than 500 patients in the health camp and distributed free medicines among poor tribal villagers.
The local residents praised the TSR for its healthcare activities and for providing them free treatment and medicines.
They said the hospital is far away from their village and it takes a day to go there, moreover, it is expensive for poor people who do not get government health amenities.
The villagers expressed their gratitude to the force which not only provides security but also helps them by proving basic amenities, health care and various other things.
"Till a few years back these areas were militant infested but now peace has resumed here and the health camp that TSR organised is of great help to the local villagers. We get free treatment and even for medicines we need not pay anything. These are of great help," said Bhodhu Laxi Debbarma, a local villager.
A few villagers also voluntarily donated blood and eyes after getting inspired by the goodwill gesture programme of the security force.
"TSR has arranged this free health check-up facility and distributed medicines in this remote area and for which we thanks the force," said Sabita Debbarma, a TSR soldier.
The mission of civic action programme organised by the TSR is to inculcate a sense of security and belonging by harnessing co-operation of remote tribal population through practically reaching them to serve them to establish that the nation and its soldiers are for them.
TSR is the biggest state paramilitary force of Tripura that has been modelled on the pattern of Border Security Force and Assam Rifles.
TSR has played an important role in curbing the four-and-a-half decades old militancy in Tripura and due to the success of it the state police last year received the "President's Colours", becoming the fourth police force in India to have received the honour after Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Tamil Nadu.
TSR has also been engaged in election duties in West Bengal and Bihar and was also called for security duties during the Common Wealth Games in Delhi.
Of late, the Union Home Ministry has sanctioned three more battalions of TSR with which the total number of TSR battalions goes up to 15, including 12 India Reserve battalions.