BSF DG, Special DG Sent Back to State Cadres Amid Increased Infiltration on Jammu Border
The Wire Staff
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New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the repatriation of two senior officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) to their parent cadres.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) proposed the premature repatriation of Nitin Agarwal, Director-General (DG) of BSF, and Y.B. Khurania, Special DG of the force, to their home states of Kerala and Odisha, respectively, the Hindu reported.
Agarwal is a 1989 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer while Khurania is from the 1990 batch. The proposal for their repatriation was sent on July 30 and July 26, respectively.
"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for premature repatriation of Nitin Agarwal, IPS (KL:89), DG, BSF to his parent cadre with immediate effect," the government order stated. Agarwal, who was appointed as DG on June 12, 2023, was initially set to serve until July 30, 2026.
As Special DG (West), Khurania oversaw security along the Pakistan border. On Friday, he arrived in Jammu for a two-day visit, where he was briefed on operational aspects and the prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the report said. "SDG appreciated troops' dedication and professionalism in the performance of duties," BSF Jammu Frontier said in a post on X.
The move to send them back to their state cadres has come amid reports of increased infiltration from the Jammu border, which is guarded by the BSF. There has been an uptick in terror attacks in the Jammu region since 2021. According to the report, militants who have recently infiltrated from the Jammu border are responsible for killing at least a dozen security personnel in targeted attacks over the past few months.
These attacks indicate efforts to revive militancy in the Jammu region, particularly in the Chenab Valley and south of the Pir Panjal range, the report said.
The 192 km International Border (IB) along Jammu is secured by the BSF, while the 740 km Line of Control, the effective border in the Kashmir valley and parts of Jammu, is under the operational control of the Army.
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