Number Of Jawans, Officers Leaving Paramilitary Forces Has Increased Three-Fold Between 2015-17

The number of jawans and officers who have resigned or taken voluntary retirement from paramilitary forces such as Assam Rifles and Border Security Force (BSF) has increased almost three times since 2015, the Times of India has reported.

At least 14,587 personnel including gazetted officers of central paramilitary forces have resigned t from service in 2017 as compared to 3,422 in 2015, according to data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Two largest forces - Central Reserve Police Force and BSF have been affected the most by this emerging trend.

While 11,198 personnel have left BSF since 2015, 10,620 have given up their jobs in CRPF. In 2015, only 1,156 constables/head constables and other lower staff in CRPF left the job. The number increased to 4,154 in 2017. While 35 gazetted officers had left CRPF in 2015, the number increased to 59 in 2017.

In case of BSF, 741 jawans, 132 subordinate officers and 36 gazetted officers had left the force in 2015. In 2017, at least 5,505 jawans, 839 subordinate officers and 71 gazetted officers resigned from the force.

In 2016, 8912 total jawans/subordinates/gazetted officers had left the central forces. The number reached 14,587 last year. This year, 744 personnel have already left the service till 31 January.

A large number of jawans and officers leave the forces in search of better jobs in the private sector and a comfortable life with family.

“Life in central paramilitary forces is extremely hard. These boys and girls don’t get time for their families and they are posted in areas with awful living conditions, zero connectivity. You look at CRPF, these men are in left wing affected states with no roads and they travel to a road for months for its construction but it takes 18 months or years for administration to complete the work while men die. They lose their limbs, die every day on the job,” said K Durga Prasad, former CRPF chief.

According to a senior officer, the trend is likely to continue till 2024.

“A large number has also left after 2015 because of implementation of 7th pay commission which allows those having served for more than 20 years to go away with increased pension throughout life,” the officer said.