India To Strengthen ITBP With 9,400 Additional Troops

NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Wednesday announced that seven more battalions of Indo-Tibetan Border Police will be added in order to protect the India-China border. Along with that, the cabinet also added a SHQ to primarily supervise and assist them. 

The panel decided to increase the number of force because of the ongoing conflict in the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The newly added battalions will be trained to guard 47 additional Border Out Posts (BOPs) along with 12 staging camps, facilitating to a stronger security system in the LAC. 

According to sources, a total of 9,400 troops will be inducted into ITBP for the newly appointed battalions and sector headquarter. The additional battalions and SHQ is expected to merge the gap on border posts. As per the reports, the formation and execution of these battalions and SHQs will be completed by the year 2025-2026. 

Approximately Rs 1800 crores will be allotted for the establishment of offices and headquarters, residential properties, buying land, and acquiring arms and ammunition. Apart from that, an amount of approximately Rs 963 crore will be sanctioned for offering salaries per year, food and other recurring expenses. 

The cabinet concluded the decision after a meeting took place which was chaired by PM Narendra Modi. “This has been a long-pending proposal from the ITBP and has been there since 2013-14. Initially it was envisaged to raise 12 new battalions, but has now been decreased to seven battalions. This has been in conjunction with the decision to increase the number of border outposts and staging camps along the LAC,” a home ministry official said. 

The conclusion was formed due to the clash between Indian Army and Chinese Troops in 2022 December. The conflict took place in Yangtze region of Tawang located in Arunachal Pradesh. Several troops were injured during the phase.

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