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BSF miffed with Army for leaving LoC winter posts
Published August 12, 2015 | By admin
SOURCE : ECONOMIC TIMES
In a development that has raised eyebrows as well as security concerns, the Border Security Force (BSF) has accused the Indian Army of moving back from winter posts in high-altitude areas along the Line of Control (LoC), leaving members of the paramilitary force to stay on at isolated places.
The BSF, which has deployments along the 740-km LoC under the operational control of the Army, has raised the matter in a formal letter to the top brass.
The paramilitary force has now told the Army that its troops will only remain deployed at forward posts if the Army stays put. BSF officials said they have yet to receive a reply from the Army.
The Indian Army didn’t respond to a questionnaire sent by ET. But senior Army officers denied that soldiers moved away from the posts in winters.
“This is step motherly treatment by the Army. We will raise it to the highest level in the government in case the issue is not resolved in the field,” said a senior BSF officialrequesting anonymity.
In the letter, the BSF has identified areas where the issue is a concern. These include Machal, Kiran, TangdharUri, Naugam, Mohra, Neru, Gurez, Badipur and Gulmarg. According to the BSF, out of the 740 km on the LoC, they are co-deployed at 237 kilometres and are under the command and control of the Indian Army. There are nearly 12 battalions of BSF which are with the Army on the LoC.
BSF officials said while the Army relocates itself to a lower altitude, they direct the BSF men to stay put at the locations which are at higher altitude. “We have received many complaints from men who are feeling exploited. It is difficult to digest but it is true so we decided to take it up with the field units,” said a BSF official.
The development raises concerns because of the security risk. The two LeT men who carried out attack on a BSF convoy recently in Udhampur sneaked through the LoC by cutting barbed wires near Bandipur, which is one of the locations where both Army and BSF are deployed. The Kargil intrusions of 1999 too were blamed on lack of patrolling and manning of high-altitude positions in the winter season.
Published August 12, 2015 | By admin
SOURCE : ECONOMIC TIMES
In a development that has raised eyebrows as well as security concerns, the Border Security Force (BSF) has accused the Indian Army of moving back from winter posts in high-altitude areas along the Line of Control (LoC), leaving members of the paramilitary force to stay on at isolated places.
The BSF, which has deployments along the 740-km LoC under the operational control of the Army, has raised the matter in a formal letter to the top brass.
The paramilitary force has now told the Army that its troops will only remain deployed at forward posts if the Army stays put. BSF officials said they have yet to receive a reply from the Army.
The Indian Army didn’t respond to a questionnaire sent by ET. But senior Army officers denied that soldiers moved away from the posts in winters.
“This is step motherly treatment by the Army. We will raise it to the highest level in the government in case the issue is not resolved in the field,” said a senior BSF officialrequesting anonymity.
In the letter, the BSF has identified areas where the issue is a concern. These include Machal, Kiran, TangdharUri, Naugam, Mohra, Neru, Gurez, Badipur and Gulmarg. According to the BSF, out of the 740 km on the LoC, they are co-deployed at 237 kilometres and are under the command and control of the Indian Army. There are nearly 12 battalions of BSF which are with the Army on the LoC.
BSF officials said while the Army relocates itself to a lower altitude, they direct the BSF men to stay put at the locations which are at higher altitude. “We have received many complaints from men who are feeling exploited. It is difficult to digest but it is true so we decided to take it up with the field units,” said a BSF official.
The development raises concerns because of the security risk. The two LeT men who carried out attack on a BSF convoy recently in Udhampur sneaked through the LoC by cutting barbed wires near Bandipur, which is one of the locations where both Army and BSF are deployed. The Kargil intrusions of 1999 too were blamed on lack of patrolling and manning of high-altitude positions in the winter season.
