CAPF camps in J&K and LWE areas have been fortified with advanced defence mechanism: MHA

A Parliamentary Committee earlier stated that the attrition rates have risen significantly in Assam Rifles and Central Industrial Security Force, remained similar in Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police and reduced in Sashastra Seema Bal during 2022 compared to previous year. In its action taken report, MHA laid down several measures that have been taken to improve the working condition of personnel and motivate them.

New Delhi:The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said that camps of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel have been fortified with advanced defence mechanism in sensitive areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas with an attempt to improve their working conditions and motivate them.

In its action taken report on the recommendations of the 242nd report of the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs on Demands for Grants (2023-24), the ministry said that better equipment for night surveillance has been provided to the CAPFs troops. The action taken report was submitted in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Earlier, the Committee took note of the suicide and attrition in CAPF personnel during the past five years. The Committee had noted that the attrition rates have risen significantly in Assam Rifles and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) while remaining same in Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and reduced in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) during 2022, over the previous year’s figures.

The Committee is of the view that such a level of attrition may affect the working conditions in CAPF and thus stressed on undertaking urgent measures to improve the conditions for motivating personnel to stay in the force.

The Home Ministry, in its action taken report further said that all headquarter locations have family accommodations and therefore, individuals have been provided with an opportunity to stay with their family for at least 100 days.

“In unit locations at field areas, 60 days Earned Leave and 15 days Casual Leave are authorised. In addition, journey period (on average 10-12 days) suffix, inter-fix and prefix is also being availed by the troops thereby ensuring 100 days with their families,” the MHA said.

The ministry said that courses on handling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) have been imparted and more bullet proof vehicles are being provided to units in J&K and LWE areas.

On the Committee's recommendations that the CAPFs may follow a rotation policy of deployment so that the jawans do not stay in tough and inhospitable conditions for longer durations at a stretch, the Ministry said that a rotation policy for transfer of officers and jawans from one place to another already exists in CAPFs & AR.

“The personnel are accordingly rotated after completion of their tenure prescribed in the transfer policy from hard and field areas to soft and static posting. Further, for redressal of posting related grievances, an objective and transparent grievance redressal mechanism and software exists in CAPFs, requests are considered as per merit, vacancies, and the gravity of grievances,” the ministry said.

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