ITBP scales up LAC presence amid COVID-19 precautions
                     ITBP scales up LAC presence amid COVID-19 precautions
The  Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has begun deployment of 40 fresh companies
across various locations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in view of the
ongoing standoff and violent clashes between the armies of the two countries, officials said
on Tuesday.
The border guarding force is also moving its mechanised column assets like SUVs, all-
terrain vehicles, snow scooters and trucks to forward locations in the midst of the projected
increase  in  the  number  of  troops  at  border  units  and  fresh  directives  to  undertake
"additional" patrols.
They said all  these units,  with an operational strength of about 4,000 mountain-warfare
trained troops, are being withdrawn from internal security duties from various parts of the
country.
About 40 ITBP companies are being withdrawn and are being mobilised to various locations
along the LAC in various sectors including Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, official sources
said.
They  said  the  frontier  formations  of  the  force  have  been  asked  to  prepare  quarantine
facilities for these new units as they are coming from the mainland and their exposure to the
coronavirus pandemic cannot be ignored.
These troops, during their two-weeks quarantine, will also have the opportunity to prepare
and  acclimatise  for  high-altitude  deployment  along  LAC  that  is  marked  by  freezing
temperatures and thin oxygen levels, they said.
A "good number" of officers who command companies and battalions are also being posted
at  the  two  newly  operationalised  commands  of  the  force  --  western  headquartered  at
Chandigarh and eastern at Guwahati, they said.
An Inspector General (IG) was given the charge of the command in Chandigarh recently
while the one at Guwahati is being looked after by an IG based in Delhi.
The commands are supposed to  be  headed by Additional Director  General  (ADG) rank
officers but the nearly-90,000 personnel strong force, at present, has none.
It is understood that the force has sought the Union home ministry's intervention in filling
up vacant posts at the senior level.
Sources said while 15 ITBP companies were recently withdrawn from various locations of
the  country  including  Jammu,  the  rest  are  being  pulled  out  from  Delhi,  Chandigarh,
Chhattisgarh and few other locations.
Apart  from these 40, it  is expected that 20 more such units could be withdrawn over a
period of time so that an "optimum" presence of the force is maintained across 180 border
posts and over 50 'staging camps' or temporary bases along the 3,488 km LAC that stretches
from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh.
ITBP Director General (DG) S S Deswal also reviewed the deployment of the force in the
Ladakh area after he visited the north-west frontier based in Leh along with senior army
commanders on Saturday.
The sources said the DG reviewed the COVID-19 quarantine and mountain acclimatisation
facilities available with the force in this area and directed that freshly recruited and young
troops in the age group of 35-40 years should be sent to those locations that have harsh
climatic conditions and are witnessing standoffs like the Galwan valley and Pangong Tso
areas.
Deswal had told PTI last month that the force has delayed the annual battalion changeover
plans in view of the coronavirus outbreak and for two battalions of the force deployed in
"extremely hard areas" the decision was to be taken after July.
However, officials said, this changeover may further be delayed as the units guarding the
border posts and present along with the army troops in view of the present standoff and
clashes with Chinese troops, have been asked to undertake more short-range and long-range
patrols.
The ITBP will keep doing its job and in view of the ongoing tension especially after the
violent clashes that led to 20 army troops laying down their lives in the line of duty, the
force will assist the army as directed, the sources said.
The force was raised in the aftermath of the 1962 Chinese aggression and about 35 of its 60
battalions are deployed for border guarding along the LAC and its posts are located between
9,000 feet-18,700 feet in the western, middle and eastern sectors of this front.