New Delhi, December 11
More than one lakh posts, including 25,000 in the BSF and 17,000 in the CRPF, are lying vacant in seven paramilitary forces in the country.

Home Ministry officials said of the 1,00,883 vacant posts in the paramilitary forces, 74,816 posts are of constables, 22,016 posts are of Junior Commission Officers and 4,051 are of Group A officer.

The BSF, which guards Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders, has vacancy in 25,674 posts, CRPF, which is engaged in anti-naxal, anti-militancy and general law and order duties, has vacancy in 17,019 posts, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, has vacancy in 21,316 posts while in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), deployed in protection of airports and industrial units, 17,320 posts are not filled.

The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force, primarily deployed in the icy heights along the Sino-Indian border, has 17,388 vacant posts, while Assam Rifles (AR), deployed in the Northeast, and National Security Guard, the special commando force, have 1,585 and 581 vacant posts respectively. "We have been trying to fill the vacancies as early as possible. But recruitment, training and finally deployment of a policeman is a time consuming exercise. "We hope to fill all the vacancies in the next two years," a Home Ministry official said.

During the last three years, the Home Ministry has taken several steps towards capacity building of the Central paramilitary forces which include sanctioning of 116 additional battalions and raising of 36 new battalions.

As many as 21 more battalions are in the process of being raised. The strength of a battalion is around 1,000 personnel. A total of 95,540 personnel were recruited to the seven paramilitary forces in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

An additional 92,168 constables (GD) are proposed to be recruited in 2011-12. Seventeen new training institutions are being set up. — PTI