yw Sources in the world’s biggest paramilitary CRPF and the BSF, country’s largest border guarding forces, said a major fuel oil crisis has hit the forces for the last four months and it has become acute February onwards
yw The Union Home Ministry on its part has flagged concerns over the poor rate of attrition in the Maoist ranks during the last four months
yw While BSF is deployed along Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pakistan borders, the CRPF is the lead anti-Naxal, counter-terror and anti-insurgency force deployed in the North-East, Jammu & Kashmir and the ultra-left extremism-hit States
yw A budgetary cut of 10 per cent has been implemented as part of the ongoing austerity drive of the Government
yw The sources said almost half of the vehicles in operational areas are not plying due to shortage of fuel adversely affecting routine movement, drills and operations. The CRPF has close to 17,000 vehicles including passenger cars, buses, trucks, recovery vans and mine protected vehicles and there is an outlay of over Rs 145 crore
yw The force’s personnel also faced acute shortage of kerosene during the winters in Kashmir due to irregular and insufficient supply of the fuel for use in bukharas