Scores of new posts in BSF as Cabinet clears restructuring

The much-delayed cadre restructuring in one of India’s biggest paramilitary forces, the Border Security Force, was cleared by the Cabinet on Monday. This will lead to the creation of new posts in the border protection agency.

The new posts will be created from the ranks of assistant commandant to additional director-general. The last time such a cadre review was conducted was more than two decade ago, and following the subsequent delay, some officers had approached the Delhi high court in 2015 which directed the Border Security Force to complete the exercise within a month’s time.

The cadre restructuring exercise is carried out on a regular basis to provide better promotion prospects, which enhances the morale and productivity of the work force.

Following the restructuring, as many as 370 posts will be created in the rank of deputy inspector general, commandant and second-in-command. In addition, 330 positions of deputy commandant, 19 of inspector general, 14 of assistant commandant and one post of the rank of additional director-general will also be formed.

However, despite the much delayed clearance of this exercise, the issue of stagnation will not be fully resolved as some of the posts will be reserved exclusively for officers from the Indian Police Service who come on deputation to the BSF.

The restructuring will not put any additional financial burden on the government as the BSF has either abolished or surrendered as many as 330 posts for creating the new slots.

“Even though the restructuring exercise will not completely ease stagnation and promotion issues but the fact that it is being implemented after so many years is certainly a positive movement forward,” a senior official said.

Apart from being deployed along the Indo-Pakistan border the BSF is also used extensively in anti-Naxal operations in states like Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Nearly, 90 per cent of the force is deployed for border guarding duties and managing Naxal operations.