Special High Altitude Allowance

Thousands of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel deployed along Indo-China border will get special 'high altitude' allowance at par with Army as the government has finally cleared the proposal, keeping in mind the hardship faced by the border guarding force.

The allowance to these personnel will vary depending on post and designation.

Besides, the home ministry has also made provisions for use of porters and animal transport for movement of ITBP personnel in high altitude border posts. Earlier, jawans had to carry heavy loads during their movement in the inhospitable terrain.

Announcing it on the occasion of the paramilitary force's 50th Raising Day on Monday, home minister P Chidambaram said the high altitude allowance was sanctioned for personnel deployed at 43 border outposts.

Referring to the existing practice where ITBP personnel have to spend six months at heights up to 18,000 feet, Chidambaram said the goal was to bring down the average posting at one of these outposts to not more than three months.

Addressing the ITBP personnel, he also mentioned the ongoing construction of 27 roads near the border which would make movement of the force easier.

The 55,000-strong ITBP, set up in 1962 in the wake of war with China, guards the 3,488-km India-China border from Karakoram pass in Ladakh region to Jechap La in Arunachal Pradesh. It is also entrusted with internal security duties like anti-Naxal operations, security of vital installations and VVIPs, election duty and disaster management among others.

Besides, it provides security cover to the Indian embassy in Kabul and Indian consulates at Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan.

ITBP to buy high speed boats for patrolling on water bodies

High speed boats is being procured by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, deployed along the country's border with China, for its newly created water wing to man lakes, rivers and hot springs in the Himalayan region. "We had asked the government to give us a water wing so that we can patrol along the large water bodies on the border. Government has accepted it.

We are now raising it. It is not operational yet. We will be buying high speed boats. Personnel will also be trained for it," Director General of ITBP Ranjit Sinha told reporters here today. Addressing a press conference on the occasion of ITBP's 50th raising day, the ITBP chief said that the force is on an expansion mode and in the process of acquiring the latest equipment.

"We require new equipment as our boys are posted in very difficult areas. Sometimes they have to go out during night time or if they are moving in naxal affected areas, so they require a special type of equipment. We have given the specification and the government has allowed us to do it internally," Sinha said.

About 55,000 personnel strong mountain range force guards the 3488 Km long Indo-China border from Karakoram pass in Ladakh region to Jechap La in Arunachal Pradesh. Besides, it is involved in internal security related duties like anti naxal operations, security of vital installations and VVIPs, election duties and disaster management among others.

"We are on expansion mode. 13 new battalions have been sanctioned for us. We will expand in phases. By 2015, all the personnel under this plan will be inducted. "We were facing manpower crunch as the force has got new duties in naxal operations, disaster management, VVIP protection. New battalions will help us there. There will also be some relief for our personnel posted on high altitudes. There will be rotation giving them some relief," he said.