SSB wants its 296 personnel at ITBP posts in Ladakh

Shaurya Karanbir Gurung

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 23

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has requested the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to take its personnel from Ladakh on deputation or permanently to their locations along the India-China frontier in Ladakh as a “welfare measure”.

Asserting the decision could lead to command and control issues, security experts said these soldiers would need special training to be able to function there, since they have never operated in this sensitive region.

“SSB Director-General Archana Ramasundaram had requested the ITBP to either permanently absorb or take SSB personnel from Ladakh on deputation at ITBP locations along the India-China frontier in Ladakh. There are about 296 personnel from Ladakh serving in the SSB,” said a senior SSB officer.

“These personnel are not accustomed to the weather outside Ladakh and have health problems due to this. It also takes a long time for them to reach their homes when they are sanctioned leave,” he said, adding that they would be more operationally fit if deployed in Ladakh.

ITBP DG Krishna Chaudhary has confirmed that a request was made by the SSB about a month ago.