Strict action against troops, officers who violate COVID-19 protocols: BSF DG

Border Security Force (BSF) chief S S Deswal on Wednesday issued a stern warning to its personnel, saying strict action will be taken if any of them violates the COVID-19 medical protocols.

The Director General (DG) issued a circular under his name for troops and officers after it was found that a Deputy Commandant rank officer of the 2-5 lakh-strong border guarding force, posted with its intelligence wing in the border area of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan returned from leave but "refused to undergo quarantine in isolation ward."

"It has been brought to my knowledge that officers are not obeying the guidelines and instructions issued from time to time regarding COVID-19 protocol," the BSF Director General (DG) said in the circular accessed by PTI.

 

Refusal by the officer to go into a designated quarantine "is a clear violation of government orders and the force, the DG said.

The circular said the officer also called "several unit personnel to his house" despite being in quarantine.

Officials said the officer concerned had gone on a day's leave to bring back his child from another location and he was subsequently directed to be in home quarantine by the unit doctor.

The circular issued by the DG said "every personnel irrespective of rank, on return from leave or training, should be put in quarantine facility so created, under supervision of doctors."

"No home quarantine is permitted," the DG said in his directive.

"Strict disciplinary action will be taken against such defaulters as well as the supervisory officers and it is again directed to comply with COVID-19 protocol in letter and spirit," Deswal said.

Officials, however, maintained that the instance was a case of "miscommunication" between the field formation and the headquarters of the force in the national capital and the officer had taken all precautions.

There has been a positive case of coronavirus infection in the BSF. A second-in-command rank officer (equivalent to a Superintendent of Police) posted at the forces' academy at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh contracted the infection last month.

The BSF is primarily tasked to guard two important Indian fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country.