Shah wants better facilities for forces fighting insurgents

New Delhi: Identifying the overall welfare of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) as a major priority for the Narendra Modi government, Union home minister Amit Shah has directed top officials to prepare a blueprint on how the working environment of security personnel deployed in anti-terror operations in regions like the Kashmir Valley and the Northeast and Naxal-hit areas can be “improved considerably”.

Sources said the new time-bound plan would cover basic issues like quality of food and uniforms, sophisticated weapons and expeditious filling of vacancies.

The home minister, sources added, was very categorical that overall welfare of paramilitary personnel, particularly those deployed at junior and middle-level, was top priority for the government.

“The home minister was very clear that security personnel deployed in hostile environment like the Kashmir Valley and the Northeast where they need to fight militants and those posted in Maoist-affected areas need to be provided with best of facilities whether it is related to food, uniform, equipment, healthcare and family welfare. So, a detailed plan is being worked out as to how these can be scaled up further,” a senior official said.

Following the directive, a survey is being carried out among different central forces to identify the long-pending welfare issues.

Efforts have also been launched to further improve the quality of ration, healthcare and ensure proper rest to the security personnel involved in counter-terror operations.

An exercise has also been initiated to provide them with state-of-the-art weapons and other equipment like bullet-proof jackets and sophisticated devices to detect IEDs, an official said.

To ensure easy grant of leaves to paramilitary personnel, who work under tremendous stress and pressure, the process of filling up nearly 84,000 vacancies in central police organisation is also being expedited. The sanctioned strength of central forces like CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB is about 9,99,795.

The home minister has also assured the security forces that there would be no dearth of funds in providing more facilities and benefits to the soldiers and their families, said an official.