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ITBP not happy with extension of retirement age

Most of the ''other ranks'' of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, including constables and head constables, are not happy with the two-year increase in their retirement age, as recommended by the fifth pay commission. They prefer some financial incentive instead to fall back on.

A survey conducted by the ITBP concluded that 24,000 of the over 29,000 personnel, are unhappy with the raising of the retirement age because they are deployed in inhospitable areas with inadequate facilities.

Instead, they prefer some financial package to see them through retirement.

According to ITBP Director General Gautam Kaul, the extension was being taken as an ''extension of two year misery of working under difficult conditions''.

''The important thing is to preserve the youthful spirit of the personnel and make sure that they don't suffer by working at such altitudes. An ITBP jawan is deployed at an average height of 14,000 ft, and working at such an altitude is injurious to health,'' he said.

Kaul said a proposal was being sent to the home ministry and that it was being suggested that whoever completed 54 years of age or 30 years service in the force, should be entitled to full pension. It suggested that similar incentives be given to the troops as given to troops deployed in Siachen.

''We perform duties under similar conditions but the difference is that we do not get bombarded,'' he said

He said the force had asked the government for a satellite communication system to augment its communication network as the only system -- the wireless -- was under heavy stress and overused.

The force also needed a second line of communication system that would be independent and function in case of breakdown of the other system, he said, adding that he hoped the MRSAT system would hopefully become operational by the end of this year.

Kaul said various police forces, including the ITBP, were unprepared for the 21st century and had not taken a serious look at the challenges and difficulties they could face in the next millennium; they planned only for the next five years, he said.

''More scientific orientation is needed down the line. The changes should at least begin with the ITBP,'' he said.

As a step in this direction, the ITBP is worked towards complete computerisation by 2000.

''Our endeavour will be that whoever enters the ITBP gets compulsorily trained in computers. It will make a material difference in the next five-six years.''

Kaul said ITBP is one paramilitary force which calls for both ''brains and brawn''. Knowledge of geography, geology and meteorology are essential inputs of training. He said computer education was being introduced at the ITBP academy at Mussoorie and at centres training sub-inspectors and constables.

He disclosed that the ITBP had lost 11 personnel recently in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. ''The tragedy was to some extent of our own making since our jawans did not anticipate the snowstorm.''

He said the force had therefore started using a disaster management technology based on the Swiss model of rescue and relief operations and adopting them in ''our own way.'' The meteorological department has already been requested to guide the force using satellite imagery systems.

The ITBP had enough equipment but personnel needed specialised training. Kaul said the Swiss model literature was available but was outdated by about 10 years and needed to be updated.

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