New Delhi: Officers of CRPF and BSF who lead their men in daring and risky operations against Naxals and insurgents "do not have" authority to take independent decisions on the field, a study commissioned by the Union Home Ministry has found.
"The officers are required to follow the instructions of force headquarters and Directorate General headquarters. They do not have the authority to take decisions on their own even at tactical level. Lack of even minimal authority is exasperating and results in high stress....," the study conducted by a professor of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad noted.
The study titled "Occupational Stress in CRPF and BSF" also brings out stark realities about the arduous lifestyle and "lack of identity" amongst these officers who continuously tackle Maoists, insurgents and militants while rendering internal security duties.
"Officers are highly stressed as they are not sure if their next posting will be in a soft area. Additionally, in difficult personal circumstances, officers are not afforded a choice of posting. Thus, continuous ambiguity regarding the posting makes it difficult for the officers to remain motivated and under duress," the exhaustive study which has been submitted to the Union Home Ministry said.
The Ministry has asked both the forces to file a detailed reply on the study which was commissioned to understand and stem the huge exodus of personnel and officers of these two largest paramilitary forces in the country.
While nearly three-lakh personnel strong CRPF leads the anti-Naxal operations, around 2.5-lakh BSF men guard strategic Indian frontiers along Pakistan and Bangladesh.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, September 02, 2012, 17:08