In an alarming trend, as many as 16,665 officers and men of the CRPF have availed voluntary retirement or resigned from service during the last three years and the current year.
Wastage of about 17 battalions (nearly 17,000 personnel) does not augur well for the paramilitary that has been expanding over the last few years in the wake of growing challenges on the internal security front and its ever increasing role in counter-insurgency and anti-terrorist roles across the Naxal-affected areas, Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. Officials said raising new battalions is a time-consuming exercise especially in few of the limited training facilities.
Officially the CRPF maintains that the officers and other personnel quit the paramilitary force due to domestic reasons but insiders said the reason is stressful working conditions coupled with lack of promotional avenues and motivation. lack of effective grievance redressal system further compounds the problem for the paramilitary personnel, sources said.
While the CRPF is all set to celebrate its Platinum Jubilee next year, the Group A officers have not been accorded the status of ‘organised service’ and are not entitled to form association. lack of association implies that they are not able to consolidate their grievances and their interests are not properly taken care of by the deputed IPS officers before the government or the administrative reforms commission. A number of serving as well as retired officers of the CRPF and other paramilitary forces have petitioned the Delhi High court seeking the status of organised service and related benefits like non-functional upgradation.
Most of those who left service prematurely include constables, head, sub inspector and assistant commandants among others.
A staggering 7,765 head constables and 5,842 contables have prematurely quit the CRPF in the last four years. About 464 assistant sub-inspectors and over 585 sub-inspectors have left the organisation during the period.
115 Assistant Commandants, 56 deputy commandants, three second-in-command, three commandants, six deputy inspectors general and two inspectors general have left the force.
Sources said a constable is promoted to the next level in about 20 years of service and similar situation prevails at other levels in the force. lack of professional career management also affects the Group A officers who get the first promotion after nearly 10 to 15 years of service, affecting both professional motivation and financial benefits.