Against the backdrop of casualties of six personnel due to suicide or fratricide in the last few months, the Central paramilitary forces have issued orders to its officers to liberally grant leave to the jawans, expeditiously resolve any issues being faced by them, timely clear their allowances and formulate a proper duty roster.
The move comes following a directive from the Union Home Ministry after the Confederation of Ex Paramilitary Force Welfare Association raised concern over the rising shootout and suicides and demanded instructions to the Forces to check the trend.
During the last few months, jawans of paramilitary forces like CRPF, BSF, SSB and ITBP have resorted to fratricidal killings leading to the death of six jawans. This dangerous trend is continuing and in the majority of the cases, enquiries have concluded that domestic discord was the reason for such incidents.
Apart from existing measures already in place to check such incidents in the ranks, the Forces have issued a fresh set of guidelines to contain any such trend in the future.
The officials commanding their respective formations have been specifically asked to adopt a liberal approach in granting leave to the jawans. A suitable roster of duty of jawans can be formulated. Payment of allowances and entitlements should be made at the earliest and without any hassles. Officials at different levels have further been asked to give sincere hearing to the problems being faced by the jawans and make every possible effort to resolve their issues, officials said, adding the latest directive has been circulated across all the formations of these paramilitary forces.
While the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is engaged in a variety of internal security roles like anti-terrorism and counter Naxal operations, the Border Security Force (BSF) is tasked to secure the frontiers along Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is securing the borders with China and the Sashastra Seema Bal is deployed along the boundary with Nepal and Bhutan.