ITBP to augment its strength by 12K men

ITBP will increase its strength by 12,000 men from its present over 77,000 personnel.

Border guarding force ITBP will increase its strength by 12,000 men from its present over 77,000 personnel by 2015,its chief Ranjit Sinha said today.

8220;The force,which began as an assorted group of less than 1500 men handpicked from different sources,has now more than 77000 men and women in its ranks and files. Its strength will further increase to 89,000 by 2015,8221; Sinha told reporters here.

The DG said the force is not facing the problem of attrition unlike other forces. 8220;There is no attrition,8221; he said when asked whether ITBP personnel have sought voluntary retirement.

The force came into existence on October 24,1962 in the wake of Chinese aggression.

8220;The force has been deployed in Chhatisgarh red-corridor,affected by Naxalism,and has carried out 3,243 operations and achieved commendable results,8221; Sinha said.

The operations,which include area dominations and road openings besides Naxal encounters,has resulted in recovery of more than 100 kgs of explosives,over 1,500 arms and ammunition,and arrests of many ultras from Naxal hotbed in Chhattisgarh8217;s Rajnandgaon district.

Apart from border guarding,ITBP is involved in anti-Naxal operations,combating trans-border crimes,smuggling and unauthorised entry and exit from India.

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ITBP personnel are deployed in border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh Jamp;K to Jechap La in Arunachal Pradesh covering 3,488 Km of Indo-China border and are manning border outposts at altitudes ranging from 9,000 feet to 18,600 ft.

8220;It has contributed immensely to United Nations Peace keeping missions in Angola,Namibia,Cambodia,Bosnia amp; Herzegovina,Mozambique Kosovo,Sudan and Fiji.

8220;Presently,ITBP troops are deployed in UN Peace Keeping Missions in DR of Congo since November,2005 and its commando units provide security to the Embassy and Consulates of India in Afghanistan,8221; he said.

To meet growing and new challenges,the force is upgrading its weaponry,training methodology,communication equipment and infrastructure,Sinha said.

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8220;The Central government has also taken up a project for construction of roads in border areas; work thereon is in progress. It is not only modernising itself with the latest technology but also augmenting its strength considerably,8221; he said.

8220;This year,ITBP acquired land at Katihar and Patna Bihar,Raebareli,Lucknow and MirzapurUP,BhopalMP,Dibrugarh and TejpurAssam,ChittoorAP and SambhaJamp;K for establishing new formations,8221; the DG said,adding a central frontier headquarters in Bhopal and a sector headquarters and four battalions 4,000 men were raised during the financial year 2012-13.

ITBP is also recruiting its constabulary through Staff Selection Commission,wherein special and sizeable proportion of vacancies has been earmarked for recruitment of youth from border districts and areas affected by Left Wing Extremism and militancy.

8220;This not only links border population with the main stream of the nation but also helps the force utilise their familiarity with terrain and locals for its advantages,8221; he said.