Jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav's video: BSF submits second report; says tinned food used

The BSF today submitted a second report to the Home Ministry on the allegations of a jawan that poor quality food was being served to soldiers on the LoC, stating that the 'daal' shown in his video was uncanned from tinned food ration and the 'parantha' was cooked in the unit mess as per procedures followed at high-altitude locations.

New Delhi: The BSF on Wednesday submitted a second report to the Home Ministry on the allegations of a jawan that poor quality food was being served to soldiers on the LoC, stating that the 'daal' shown in his video was uncanned from tinned food ration and the 'parantha' was cooked in the unit mess as per procedures followed at high-altitude locations.

BSF Director General K K Sharma himself submitted the interim report to the Union Home Ministry even as he informed Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi that the western front commander (Additional DG) of the force along with a dietician have been rushed to the border post in Jammu and Kashmir where the jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav was posted for a detailed inquiry.

Sharma, however, did not meet waiting mediapersons and left the ministry hurriedly.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that the government has sent "experts and dieticians to each and very post of the border to ensure that the food quality of the jawans must be as per the norms."

Officials said the report has found certain deficiencies that need to be corrected vis-a-vis cooking and supply of food in a hygienic and stipulated quantity as per established rules.

It has mentioned that the 'daal' (lentils) shown in the video by Yadav was uncanned straight from the tinned food ration supply sent to the border post in Rajouri and hence was bland and devoid of spices and 'jeera', as alleged by Yadav.

It is understood that it mentions that apart from the regular lunch/dinner comprising 'daal' and 'roti', the unit mess also prepared fish curry on some occasions, something that is also visible in the videos posted by Yadav.

A final report in this regard is expected to be submitted by the BSF tomorrow after the team of senior officers sent to the spot also find out the actual "cooking norms, style and distribution" of food to the troops in these areas.

They said while the rations at the said post on the Line of Control (LoC) is provided by the army, it is cooked by BSF personnel tasked for these jobs.

The report has mentioned that jawans were not given only one 'parantha' as claimed by Yadav, but is unclear as to how they were burnt.

"The probe will find out if the paranthas were ill-cooked and burnt by the cooks or otherwise. There could be a possibility of them being extra-hauled over coal," they said.

It also mentions the list of authorised food items for troops deployed at high-altitude and difficult terrain areas of the border and the actual amount of stores available, along with the calorie chart, in the said mess and others beginning January 1. 

With PTI inputs