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Adequate Rations Are Available For Soldiers, BSF Tells MHA

The Indian Army has been asked to check on the quality of food.
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrol the fenced border with Pakistan.
Mukesh Gupta / Reuters
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrol the fenced border with Pakistan.

Adequate rations were available to the soldiers, an interim report of the Border Security Force (BSF) to Ministry of the Home Affairs has said. In a Facebook post, Constable Tej Bahadur Yadav–-belonging to the 29 Battalion of the BSF posted in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir--had earlier made allegations of inhuman working conditions, sub-standard food and corruption in BSF. The Facebook video went viral, forcing the government to order a probe.

In the interim report, the BSF has also claimed that a senior official visited the formation a few days before Constable Tej Bahadur made his startling allegations on social media. The allegation of sub-standard food or bad working conditions wasn't, however, raised by the troops when the senior official interacted with the troops.

The Union Home Ministry has also asked the Indian Army to check on the quality of the rations being supplied to the BSF. The BSF is under the operational control of the Indian Army in the Poonch sector. Besides deciding on the deployment and tasking of the BSF, the Indian Army also provides rations to the BSF.

Earlier today, the Ministry of Home Affairs also sent a report to the Prime Minister's office. Top ministry officials told HuffPost India that "the final report is expected by next week." As the outrage among the people at large grew, the Modi-led NDA government, that had made welfare and strengthening of security forces a major poll issue, found itself in a corner. And in an attempt to divert attention and play down the issue, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, said that the reports of bad food, bad working conditions or corruption would only affect the morale of the security forces.

Source also told HuffPost India that Constable Tej Bahadur has also applied for pre-mature retirement which is awaiting the approval of the Government. Tej Bahadur had applied for permission to hang up his boots last October.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.