MHA wants paramilitary forces to double up as beekeepers; veterans question move

The MHA has set the ball rolling for central paramilitary forces to promote scientific beekeeping on their campuses. Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the concerned authorities and directed them to prepare a module to take the initiative ahead. The move has been criticised by some veterans who ask why the government wants CAPF jawans to utilise their energy and time for bee conservation instead of security issues.-- Reports ETV Bharat’s Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi:With an aim to boost immunity levels and provide instant energy to the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), Assam Rifles and National Security Guards (NSG) personnel deputed in far-flung areas and hilly regions, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has initiated a move to utilize central paramilitary forces for promotion of scientific beekeeping in their campuses.

Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the concerned authorities at North Block here and directed them to prepare a module to take the initiative ahead. Sources in the MHA said that the executive director National Beekeeping Board, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare highlighted various aspects of the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) during a presentation at the meeting.

Senior officials of CAPF, Assam Rifles, NSG, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of Ayush, and Indian Agricultural Research Institute were present in the meeting. The meeting also discussed specific requirements of Yoga for CAPFs, ARs and NSGs, sources said. The CAPF, Assam Rifles and National Security Guards will be encouraged and made aware of ways to preserve bees in scientific ways.

A senior official from the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) said that detailed deliberations took place on the MHA’s initiative to engage the paramilitary force jawans on a beekeeping mission. Speaking over it, Ayush scientist Dr VK Shahi said, "Consumption of pure honey will be very much beneficial for the jawans who are stationed in the remote and high altitude areas. It will help in building immunity.”

“Apart from providing instant energy, honey will also pass carbohydrates in the body, which is very much essential for the jawans stationed in high altitude and remote areas,” Dr Shahi said.

MHA’s new initiative, however, raised concerns among a section of people. “It has become a norm for the Union government to impose on the central forces its promotional projects that even the nodal department or the ministry is not very keen on implementing. These days, we are trained to do everything other than what we are hired for,” complained a senior official from the Border Security Force (BSF).

When contacted retired brigadier BK Khanna said that paramilitary forces should be utilized for their original duty of security. “If the government utilises their energy and time for bee conservation, how can they concentrate on security issues,” Brigadier Khanna said. It is worth mentioning that central armed police forces have already been facing a manpower shortage which has become an issue of concern for the government.

“Why are the security personnel needed to engage in unrelated activities, such as tree plantation and beekeeping, at a time when they are already overtasked performing subsidiary duties in addition to their core functions?” quipped Tulsi Nair, general secretary of Assam Rifles Ex-servicemen Association.

"Even the top brasses of the security forces readily agree to the ministry’s proposal to implement promotional schemes to please their political bosses for post-retirement benefits," he said.