Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Organised Or Disorganised Service

The order to implement Non Functional upgradations for Officers of Organised Gp A Service may be seen in

The expression" organised Group `A' Civil Cadre" means a cadre which has all the following attributes, namely:- 
(i) the highest cadre post is not below the level of Rs.18400-22400 
(ii) it has all the standard grades, namely, Rs.8000-13500, Rs.10000-15200, Rs.12000-16500, Rs.14300-18300 and Rs.22400-24500 
(iii) at least 50% of the vacancies in the Junior Time Scale (Rs.8000-13500) are required to be filled by direct recruitment and 
(iv) all vacancies above the Junior Time Scale and upto the Senior Administrative Grade (Rs.22400-24500) are filled by promotion from the next lower grade.

All our efforts and energy should be channelized into making BSF an organized group A service if one wishes to see light at the end of the tunnel.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

MUSIC FOR THE BRAVE: BSF will march to Rahman’s tune


New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) jawans will now march to the beats of Oscar winner A R Rahman. The music composer, who enchanted the world with his ‘Jai Ho’ number, has composed the theme song for the paramilitary force. The five minute song — ‘Hum Seema Suraksha Bal... Veeron ka hai ye dal (We are the Border Security Force... it is the force of the brave)’ — composed by Rahman praises the strength and valour of the force, which is responsible for guarding the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders. 

‘‘The credit for the song goes to Meghalaya governor R S Moosahary, who is a former director general of the force. He helped us get in touch with Rahman, who composed the song without charging any money for it,’’ BSF chief M L Kumawat told reporters on the occasion of the force’s investiture ceremony here on Thursday. 

After being formally released for the occasion, the song, which also captures the emotional tribulations of a jawan guarding the border while leaving his family behind, comes with a video — ‘Borderman’ — showing BSF men in action along the border, undergoing training, and the famous ‘change of guard’ ceremony at Wagah border. Kumawat said: ‘‘The song and the video capture the true spirit of the force. Rahman has also promised to come and spend time with our men to boost their morale.’’ 

On the occasion, the BSF chief also announced that the force — which will soon begin the process of raising its strength by recruiting 29,000 more personnel — would also undertake a massive modernization project costing over Rs 6,000 crore, over the next five years. The plan will also see the construction of 509 new border outposts along the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangla borders, nine new sectors and three more frontier headquarters.

Source : Times News Network

Monday, May 4, 2009

More from Whispers

I am reproducing another post that appeared in whispers.

Shocking and painful 
I do not know under what capacity some are looking after the career progression of BSF officers but if people look after career progression, how can there be any progression. Firstly,I would like to clarify that officers of BSF are selected directly as class-1 gazetted officers through All India Competetive exam conducted by UPSC. Hence they are not simple graduate. Graduation is the minimum requirement for appearing in other civil service exams which selects the elite IFS/IAS/IPS. People assume that officers of BSF are recruited under some banyan tree after simple graduation. Secondly, they mention that the officers gets timely promotions (4 in a span of 15 years).If that was the case there would have been no grievances. Let me enlighten that the time frame for promotion mentioned is the minimum required, as per the RR (framed by elite bosses from other cadre).The ground reality is even after 20 years of service a direct appointed officer is still holding the rank of Second-in-command (pay band-3) and still not sure of his next promotion. Thirdly, only rank of DIG and above is filled on the basis of availability of vacancy. Again I would like to enlighten that the complete rank structure from the humble constable to the overpaid officers are on the basis of availability of vacancy which is hardly there at the top. This is the reason for need to organise the cader properly. This point should not be interpreted as disgruntlement/dissatisfaction but is a requirement for smooth functioning of any organisation. Fourthly, BSF officers always remain with their troops in all sorts of condition and lead from the front. Proof of which is not regarded as casualty rate of officers is one of the highest in India. Fifthly, as mentioned that officers get incentive in the name of hard duties actually performed by constables, I would again Enlighten my friend that 95% of BSF(Officers & jawans) live in inhospitable and difficult terrains which is devoid of basic amenities. It is not that the officers live separately in some metropolitan/capital city and command their troops by proxy. They are with their troops ALWAYS on border posts. Of the 5% places available at various higher HQ in Delhi and other decent cities ,mostly is occupied by the top brass ( non-cadre officers). The incentive that a borderman gets (jawans & officers)in the form of hard duty allowance is not any favour or gift, it is a compensation of the sacrifice they do in the form of duty. The only grievance is that there is a discrimination between an army man and a borderman performing the same duty. Lastly, as regards to the condition of the constables of the force and their promotions .I would like to point that the MAI-BAAP of the force are the IPS officers on deputation, who are actually the rule makers and policy framers of this force. A BSF officer has no say in the career progression of a constable to officer of BSF cader. Leave aside constables of BSF even in state Police the condition are no better.

Shashwat

Whispers becoming Murmers

Finally the right kind of noise is being made in the virtual space. The article "Travails of an Unsung Prahari " has initiated some nice debate. It was heartening to see so many postings in WIC 04-05-09 . It is high time our fraternity gets out of its self induced stupor and make its presence felt in various forums. Various issues that affects us directly or indirectly should be highlighted and awareness should be generated. It is not that the results may be immediate or tangible but it will surely create a launching pad for the assault . I am reproducing some of the comments that appaered in the forum of WIC today. Keep up the good work fellow praharis


Cadre management in CPMF
An officer of CPMF does not pick up his first promotion before 8th or 9th year of service when he becomes a Deputy Commandant although the prescribed minimum is 4 years. The 2nd promotion to the rank of second in command does not come before the 15th year of service even though the prescribed residency is only 11 years. The next rank of Commandant comes in the 20th or 21st year of service whereas the prescribed minimum is only 14 years. This rank is equivalent to that of SSP which an IPS officer or the officers of any organised group A service get in their 13th year of service on a time scale basis. The situation will further worsen because they have increased the numbers of Deputy Commandant authorised in the units to 6 from 4 without any corresponding increase in the vacancies at higher levels.

It is only a few who are able to reach the level of DIG after putting in more that 30 - 32 years of service although the prescribed minimum is only 20 years.Becoming IG is a dream come true for a cadre officer. Only about one officer per batch of 50-60 is able to reach this level. Beyond that the there is no scope.As Cadre officers, we do not seek any parity with any other service specially not with the IPS because we do not want to be equated with a service which does not have the trust of public at large and even their own ground level Police constabulary. We also know that the organisational pyramid will preclude most of the officers from reaching beyond DIG. 

What we seek and humbly pray to the Government is that we CPMF officers must have an avenue available to grow in our own organisation. A lieutenant of army can theoretically aspire to become chief one day. An IPS can aspire and will become DG of his state. An IAS officer will become Chief Secretary one day and so on. Officers of all the services can aspire to reach the very top. But a CPMF officer is debarred by the rules from becoming Additional DG, Special DG and DG of the force. He is also debarred from most of the posts of DIG and IG. Why is that so? In what manner an IPS officer is better than a cadre officer of the CPMF to man only the higher level posts even though he does not have any ground level experience or knowledge of the work culture and ethos of the forces. How can he plan the personnel and training policies of these forces when does not know anything about these forces.

The pay commission had made some far reaching recommendations like 100% quota for the cadre officers upto the rank of DIG and 50 % quota from the ranks of IG and above. However, the IPS lobby is not letting these reforms be cleared. There are atleast 20 Commandants waiting in each of the CPMF waiting for the new cadre rules to be framed which the Government has ordained but the IPS lobby is not letting pass. So these unlucky officers can neither be promoted under the old rules and new rules are not being framed. This situation has blocked the entire chain down below and hundreds of officers are suffering. The Government also has sanctioned some posts of Additional DG for cadre officers but again for the last 9 months no cadre officer has been promoted as no rules have been allowed to be framed by the very same lobby. They (IPS) have but already been promoted on these new posts. Why are they not allowing these rules to be framed - the reason is simple - they had thought that these vacancies will accrue to them but the government decided to give a share to the cadre officers.

It does not need an IQ of 140 to decipher who the author of feed back(published on 1st May ) to travails of Seema Prahari could be. He belongs to the same tribe that has been subjugating the CPMF so far. If he was so familiar with the cadre management of CPMF why is he being so economical with the truth by hiding the facts brought out above.

Seema Prahari
"


Saturday, May 2, 2009

Impudent Pathethic Screwballs ( I.P.S)

The comments on "unsung Prahari" posted in WIC 01-05-09 reflects the sick mindset of the class echoeing such views. Border gaurding is a specialized job. The training , equipment , role and task and almost everything is different from what our masters in Khaki have seen,heard or done before coming on deputation. Even after joining the force there is little inclination to learn and imbibe the organisational ethos. The five years of deputation is spent on managing cushy postings, misappropiation and further manipulating the system. Except for a few exceptional gentlemen i cannot remember anyone from this so called elite service making a meaniful contribution to the force. The recommendation of 6th CPC for giving 100% DIG rank and 50% quota in the rank of IG and above has been smartly scuttled .Now going to the court seems to be the only option. If this elite lot thinks the career progression should be compared with constublary then they should do the same in the state police. That would set a nice example. The abolishing of L/Nk and NK and further the dismal state of career progression for the constubulary reflects on the poor leadership being provided by these deputationist. Since no cadre officer is any postion of importance , blaming them makes no sense.

I read the comments of one Rajesh on the travails of a BSF prahari. I totally agree that sometimes we are ourselves responsible for our subjucation. But point is not how to treat an individual outsider. The point is that the outsiders as a tribe are over riding us. We have no say in ourvown organisation. These outsiders have no experience or professional capability to command us but they continue to do so because the rules have been made in such a manner. It is the rules that need to be challanged and got over turned.

Friday, May 1, 2009

His Masters Voice

The Unsung Prahari's travails also appeared in the site whispersinthecorridors.com on 30th April 2009. And as expected the response has been quick and stinging. It doesnt require an IQ level of 140 + to make out from where it has come. I am reproducing it below

"I don't agree with the views/grievances of the anonymous "Prahari" as narrated in WIC 30-04-09. He appears to be from Officer (Group-A) side. I have had long tenures in dealing with career progression of CPMFs officers. The dissatisfaction reflected by the author is in no way sustainable. An officer joins at Asstt Comdt level after simple graduation, gets Senior Time Scale after four years, gets promotion as Dy Comdt after six years, as 2nd-in-Command after 11 years and as Commandant after 15-16 years. He becomes eligible for promotion as DIG after 20 years of service and then as IG after 24 years of service, although the promotions from DIG & above are subject to availability of vacancies in promotion quota. While such officers have severe allergy from IPS officers being appointed at higher levels or Medical Officers (with MBBS degree) being given time scale promotions, they never bother to take promotional care of their subordinate Constabulary, which comprises more than 90% of each Force and is real back bone of every Force. Whilst, an officer gets 4 promotions in around 15 years of service, a Constable does not get a single promotion even after putting in 20 years of hard service. These officers always get various incentives/perks from the Government in the name of hard duties actually being performed by poor Constables/Head Constables, but there is really none to hear their voice, which is, if raised, is suppressed at grass-foot level itself. This is the main cause of day-to-day incidents of suicides/shoot-out on superior officers by the troops. It is my humble request to the concerned authorities to do needful, whatsoever they can do at their best, for welfare/ promotional care of poor troops. "