BSF, CISF to recruit more men from disturbed areas

The Union Home Ministry’s move is primarily aimed at providing employment to youth in Naxal-affected states. The ministry argues that lack of employment is one of the key reasons which have led youths to taking up arms. Providing employment opportunities would ‘‘wean the youth away from Naxals’’, senior ministry officials said.

Earlier, a majority of the CPO recruitment — as much as 80 per cent of it — was dictated by a quota system that used the population of individual states as the benchmark. Now 60 per cent of the total recruitment would be done on the basis of the states’ population, leaving the rest for disturbed areas.

With CPOs like the BSF, CISF and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) raising at least 20-odd battalions comprising, on an average, seven companies in the next two years, increased recruitment from disturbed areas will prove to be a major boon for youth in states like Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand where Naxalism has been spreading its wings.

Senior officers of the CRPF that is largely deployed in Naxal-affected areas said that increased recruitment from disturbed areas could be a good policy for CPOs. ‘‘Recruiting more locals from disturbed areas is likely to enhance our operational abilities by adding to our intelligence-gathering strength and knowledge of the terrain,’’ they added.