The farewell parade for the outgoing CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh has stirred a row with a section of officials pointing to the violation of the BPR&D manual for drafting over a battalion strength of the Force for his send off.

As a custom and tradition, outgoing chiefs of three services and also of the Paramilitary Forces such as BSF, CRPF, CISF etc are given ceremonial farewell on the day they demit office.

The instructions for such farewell parades have been given and institutionalised in BPR&D Drill manual 2012, which stipulates a designated strength of officers and jawans for such farewell parades.

However, through an order issued last month, the CRPF ordered its formations to pool “excessive” manpower including commandant rank officers from the field units to host this farewell parade against the norms, said personnel involved in the scheduled farewell function for Friday.

“The troop strength of more than a battalion (1,000) strength of CRPF have been pooled from different field formations including Naxal infested LWE theatre and have been stationed at Group Centre CRPF Gurugram for more than a month rehearsing for the farewell parade to be held for the outgoing chief besides other tradesman and logistic arrangements,” an official said.

Mobilisation of a large number of personnel for the send off parade is a clear violation of the instructions by the top bosses of CRPF, a Union Home Ministry official conceded.

According to the manual, an Additional SP rank officer equivalent to Deputy Commandant in the paramilitary forces is required to be the Parade Commander whereas an Assistant Commandant rank officer is supposed to be the Parade Second-in-Command (2/IC). But for Singh’s farewell parade ceremony three to four commandant rank officers have been detailed and one such officer is tasked to lead the parade as parade commander whereas a second in command rank officer is slated to be parade 2/IC. As per the manual the Commandant rank officer is appointed for the ceremony for award of President's Colour to a Force, officials added.

“The CRPF is a highly committed force of the MHA and deployed in very challenging areas. It is better that such functions are held at a lower scale and from within the resources in the National Capital Region. Rest of the CRPF be given more focused approach towards learning combat and counter terrorism tactics and courses,” an official said.

Even in Services, such functions are limited to symbolic farewell parade-cum-guard of honour functions, officials added.