CRPF promotes 5,000 non-gazetted personnel in special drive

New Delhi, Oct 26: About 5,000 jawans and sub-officers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been promoted this month as part of a “special drive” conducted by the paramilitary force to lift the morale of its personnel who render hard duties in various internal security theatres of the country.

A senior officer of the force told PTI on Saturday that those promoted include personnel in the ranks of constables, head constables, assistant sub-inspectors and sub-inspectors working as barbers, band players, carpenters, motor mechanics, drivers, cooks and those in the general combat duty cadres.

The officer said a total of 4,959 personnel have been promoted as part of a special drive conducted in the force in October on the directions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) director general.

Till now, these personnel were promoted after an “approved list” was prepared at the force headquarters level once a staffer passed the annual health and fitness test and had a clear service record from the vigilance point of view, he said.

The special measure was undertaken in the force as the Union home ministry directed all central armed police forces (CAPFs) including CRPF to shun the old practice and promote non-gazetted personnel after holding departmental promotion committee (DPC) meetings from next year, he said.

The officer said a comprehensive list was prepared for the eligible personnel and they were issued promotion orders this month before the new system kicks in from January 1, 2025.

The aim of the move is to boost the morale of the troops who render hard duties in the three main internal security theatres of the country-- anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorist tasks in Jammu and Kashmir and anti-insurgency duties in the northeastern states.

The about 3.25 lakh personnel strength CRPF is the country’s largest CAPF and almost 95-97 per cent of its operational manpower is deployed in operations at any given point of time.