Moon Desk: The Centre told the Lok Sabha that 658 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) personnel died by suicide between 2018 and 2022. “Improvement in working conditions/amenities and welfare of CAPFs and AR is a constant endeavour of the government. Several measures have been taken to improve working conditions of CAPFs and AR personnel,” Union Minister of State (MoS) Home Nityanand Rai said.
In a written reply, the government also said 53,336 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles personnel quit their jobs on account of either voluntary retirement or resignation during the last five years.
MoS Nityanand Rai was responding to a question in the Lok Sabha regarding working conditions of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
Congress MP Manickam Tagore sought replies from the government whether it is true that around 700 CAPF personnel took their own lives between 2018-22. He also asked whether it is true that the year 2022 witnessed the highest attrition or not with around 12,000 personnel quitting.
The concern put forth by the Opposition MP was that such high attrition may affect the working condition in the forces. He also asked about what measures have been taken or are being taken to ensure that the conditions don’t deteriorate.
A parliamentary committee was set up earlier to identify the causes for such high attrition. The committee recommended surveys to be conducted in order to understand the reason behind the development, reported Hindustan Times.
While suggesting some remedial steps to prevent suicides and attrition, the committee said that the forces “may follow a rotation policy of deployment so that the jawans do not stay in tough and inhospitable conditions for longer durations at a stretch”, Hindustan Times reported.
The paramilitary forces are basically involved in guarding the country’s frontiers, stopping smuggling, law and order situations, fighting left-wing extremism violence, and in counter-terror operations.
