CRPF has told the government, that it should be allowed to raise at least 16 new battalions to enable it to have young manpower to meet its operational requirements and to compensate the gain of over 16,000 older personnel

NEW DELHI: The CRPF has asked the government to allow it to raise at least 16 new battalions and provide it with more static duties in case it raises the retirement age of its combat personnel from the present 57 to 60 years, officials said Tuesday.

The about 3-lakh personnel paramilitary force, during a recent meeting called by the Union home ministry on the subject, informed that it will have an addition of a total 16,844 older personnel in its ranks (between 2020-2022) if a recent Delhi High Court directive to enhance the superannuation age of personnel up to the Commandant rank is implemented.

The force has told the government, that it should be allowed to raise at least 16 new battalions to enable it to have young manpower to meet its operational requirements and to compensate the gain of over 16,000 older personnel.

A CRPF battalion has over 1,000 personnel.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the designated lead internal security force of the country and is the mainstay for anti-Naxal operations in 10 Left Wing Extremism affected states and anti-terrorism offensives in the Kashmir valley.

The force has been the lone dissenter of the retirement age proposal even as other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) under the home ministry have agreed.

The other CAPFs include the Border Security Force (BSF), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Assam Rifles.

The Delhi High Court has recently directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to implement its order and increase the retirement age of personnel up to the rank of Commandant, in these forces from 57 to 60 years, like that in the CISF and the Assam Rifles.

Personnel above the Commandant rank retire at 60 years in all these forces.

"We have stated that out of our 243 battalions on ground, 180 are in the thick of action and have no peacetime deployment. The age profile of the force has to be kept young to ensure it is fighting fit. Enhancing the retirement age does not augur well for a force that is in operation mode all the times," a senior CRPF officer told PTI.

If the retirement age for the personnel in combat ranks is enhanced to 60, it will directly impact the CRPF recruitment for the next three years and we will not be able to recruit young blood as over 16,000 personnel will get three more years to serve, the officer said.

The officer told the news agency, that force also has submitted to the MHA that it should be given more static or peacetime duties where "older personnel may be deployed."

These duties could be like guarding vital infrastructure or strategic assets of the country, the officer said.

The paramilitary, that is chalking out new operational strategies post the February 14 Pulwama attack, also informed the ministry that it has the highest number of personnel, amongst the CAPFS, under the low medical category at 22,120.

"The LMC cases are bound to increase if the retirement age of combat duty personnel is enhanced. It is important to give some new non-hard posting tasks to the force to keep it fit and agile," the officer said.

The MHA has called a meeting to chalk out a comprehensive strategy within the next fortnight and ensure timely implementation of the court's order and also allow the CAPFs to roll out the proposed measures smoothly, the officer said.