The ‘Confederation of Ex Paramilitary Force Martyrs Welfare Association’ has opposed the induction of ‘IPS’ officers in the central paramilitary forces to the post of ‘commandant’ through deputation. However, there is talk of amending the rules regarding this. At present, IPS officers come to the post of DIG, IG, ADG, SDG and DG on deputation in CAPFs. In these too, most of the sanctioned posts for DIG IPS remain vacant. Those posts have to be temporarily filled by cadre officers.
Association general secretary Ranbir Singh says that this will reduce the chances of promotion of cadre officers to the post of commandant. IPS officers by taking soft posting in force headquarters, sector headquarters or frontier, will take advantage of the facilities there.
According to the association’s official, till now only cadre officers in CRPF, BSF and other central security forces hold the post of commandant. If IPS will come on deputation for this post, then the morale of the commandant and below cadre officers will be low. Their self esteem will decrease. At present, 40 per cent posts of DIG level are reserved for IPS officers. It is a different matter that most of those posts remain vacant.
Ranbir Singh said that IPS should be posted as Assistant Commandants in Central Paramilitary Forces for three years after their probationary period i.e. training. Instead of posting them at the headquarters, they should be deployed in Naxal-affected areas, insurgency-prone states of the North-East and on the LoC ‘Line of Control’ i.e. Border Out Company Post.
Posting should be given in areas with an altitude of 15 to 20 thousand feet, where the Himveers of ITBP are guarding the border. Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan should be deployed on the international border. There the IPS should be given the command of the companies. The advantage of this will be that the IPS officer will get an opportunity to get acquainted with the routine, duty and difficult conditions of the jawans.
According to the association, an IPS officer should be admitted to the central forces at the level of DIG, IG or ADG only after he has mastered the command of a company post in the central security forces for three years in his initial phase as an assistant commandant.
In the central paramilitary forces, the practice of imposing IPS on the post of ‘Commandant’ is no longer there. The deputation of IPS starts from the post of DIG in BSF and CRPF. There has been a dispute between the cadre officers of IPS and CAPF for many years regarding promotion. Both the parties have also reached the Supreme Court in this regard. Despite this, CAPF cadre officers are lagging behind in promotion. IPS officers say that as per the fundamental principles of All India Service, we get central deputation in CAPFs. This provision is in the recruitment rules of CAPF.
