The Union Cabinet today approved the much-delayed cadre restructuring for the officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) leading to creation of 74 posts, an exercise aimed at enhancing operational and administrative capabilities of the force.
A government statement said the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has "approved the cadre review of group 'A' Executive officers of BSF with net creation of 74 posts of various ranks from Assistant Commandant to Additional Director General ranks to enhance the operational and administrative capabilities of BSF."
The last time such an exercise was carried out was in 1990 and after it got delayed for a number of years, a group of officers of the country's largest border guarding force last year moved the Delhi High Court, which directed the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to complete the activity within a month's time.
The restructuring will lead to the creation of a maximum of 370 posts in the ranks of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Commandant and Second-in-Command followed by 330 in Deputy Commandant rank, 19 in Inspector General, 14 in Assistant Commandant and one post will be created in the Additional DG rank.
Cadre restructuring is conducted in an organisation to better place the workforce in keeping with the changing scenario over a period of time and is aimed at enhancing the morale of the men and women employees.
It also helps in getting better work productivity from them in the interest of the department.
However, officials said the latest policy decision will not fully ease the issue of stagnation as few posts under the restructuring will be reserved for officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS), who come on deputation to the over 2.57-lakh personnel strong border guarding force with 186 battalions at present.
The exercise for the creation of the new posts has been
"cost neutral" as almost 330 posts have been abolished or surrendered by the BSF in lieu of getting the new 74 posts.
"While this much-delayed exercise will not bring completely ease stagnation and promotion issues, it being implemented after so many years is surely a positive step," a senior official said.
Apart from being the 'first line of defence' along Pakistan and Bangladesh borders, the BSF, under the command of the Union Home Ministry, is extensively deployed to conduct anti-Naxal operations in Left Wing Extremist-hit states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and also renders a variety of internal security tasks.
About 90 per cent of the BSF work force is deployed for border guarding tasks and operations in the LWE theatres of the country.
