Key Points
In a surprise move the Government of India removed both the Director General of the Border Security Force as well as the Special Director General of BSF in charge of Western frontiers on 2 August..
Sacking them on the eve of the trouble brewing on our east and its implication for the security of the long porous borders with Bangladesh is symptomatic of the low priority accorded to borders in our security architecture...
The plan had several components including enhancing the strength of the BSF, inducting technology for border guarding, as also constructing a fence along the border with Pakistan in Punjab...
Resultantly, even the manifold (almost 1000 per cent) expansion of BSF from 25 battalions (of six company strength) in 1965 to almost 200 (of seven company strength) has not resulted in qualitative improvement in the border guarding system and work-life balance for border men..
This was a short-sighted move that has led to the additional burden of supervision on the Unit Commandant both in terms of increased operational area of responsibility as well as administration and man management of additional troops under his command.. Further, support staff for the additional company was not ab initio planned but had to be sanctioned later as their administration needed manpower, for which troops had to be withdrawn from the border..
