New Delhi: The year 2017 saw significantly more voluntary retirement and resignations in paramilitary forces than ever before, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force, in particular, has seen the most outflow of personnel.
While a total of 909 BSF personnel either voluntarily retired or resigned in 2015, the number spiked by more than seven times to 6415 in 2017. The same is true for CRPF which saw the exit of 1376 personnel in 2015 but 5123 left in 2017.
The trend is similar in the case of Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Industrial Security Force and Assam Rifles as well. While 76 personnel quit or voluntarily retired from ITBP in 2015, the number rose to 305 in 2017. SSB (183 in 2015 and 548 in 2017), CISF (768 in 2015 and 1560 in 2017) and Assam Rifles (113 in 2015 and 636 in 2017) have all reported similar trends.
Assam Rifles, in particular, has reported that personnel have left citing several reasons including personal, family, health, social as well as enhanced pensionary benefits after 20 years in service.
A career in India's paramilitary forces is mostly seen as one which requires enormous determination and sacrifice. Home Minister Rajnath Singh too recently said he recongnises the efforts made by paramilitary forces. In the past, there have been several instances however where personnel have alleged long work hours in testing conditions, being denied leaves and not being provided adequate facilities while on duty.
