After a BSF Jawan raises question over the quality of food served to the soldiers, civilians residing near paramilitary forces’ camps, especially those of the Border Security Force (BSF), say officers sell fuel and food provisions meant for the soldiers to outsiders at half the market price.
BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav said in a video on social media, “We only get a ‘parantha’ and tea as breakfast and this is without any pickle or vegetables… we slog for 11 hours and at times we have to stand throughout the duty hours. For lunch, we get ‘dal’ (pulses) which only has ‘haldi’ (turmeric) and salt… with roti. This is the quality of the food we get… how can a jawan do his duty? I request the Prime Minister to get this probed… no one shows our plight.”
As reported by TOI, jawan and some civilians said that traders near the Humhama BSF headquarters near Srinagar airport are beneficiaries of petrol and diesel along with even food items from senior officers.
“They sell food items like dal and vegetables to civilians outside the camp at cheaper rates and leave us bereft of the facilities. They even deny us our daily-use items and sell the same to their agents outside the camps,” a BSF jawan said on the condition of anonymity.
“We get petrol from BSF officers in charge of provisions at Humhama camp at half the market rate… Other items, like rice and spices, are also available much cheaper,” added a civil contractor.
Following the video went viral; the soldier has also been shifted from the Line of Control to the headquarters of his 29 battalion in Poonch. Home Minister Rajnath Singh ordered an inquiry into the soldier’s three videos alleging poor food and near starvation condition.
In one of the videos, the 40-year-old also complains that jawans go to bed on an empty stomach. “The government’s store is full but everything is sold. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an investigation,” said the soldier.
Bahadur also said that anything can happen to him after he will post the videos. The BSF and the home ministry have both ordered probe into the matter. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home, also said “any anomaly will be dealt with firmly.”
However, the BSF says the soldier was court-martialed 4-years ago for assaulting a superior but not sacked from service “on compassionate grounds”.
