BSF orders 'Independence Day walk' at border posts along Pak, Bangladesh on Aug 15

The Border Security Force (BSF) has directed organising an 'Independence Day walk' at all its borders posts and field units along the Pakistan and Bangladesh fronts on August 15, officials said on Sunday.

The headquarters of the about 2.5 lakh personnel strong force has asked all its formation commanders to ensure that a senior officer spends two nights - August 14 and 15 - at each border post along the Pakistan and Bangladesh front along with other offices and training centres of the paramilitary.

This is a part of the 74th Independence Day celebrations.

The officials said an order has been issued by the headquarters of the force here on August 6 on the directions of BSF chief S S Deswal, who has launched a slew of fitness programmes in the force.

Deswal is heading the BSF in an additional capacity for over four months now and he is the regular Director General (DG) of the ITBP that guards the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

He has initiated these activities in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) too, they said.

As per the order for August 15, the officers who visit and halt at the border posts will undertake four things: Flag hoisting, tree plantation, 10-km 'Independence Day walk' with all the troops and officers of the post and organise a 'badakhana' or grand fest with 50 selected troops who have done "exceptional work".

It has been directed that all COVID-19 protocols and precautions should be adhered to and security concerns at "sensitive" posts should be kept in mind, the officials said.

These fitness drills and courses have been initiated by Deswal who has ordered that all fat and obese personnel in the border guarding force should be identified and sent for physical training.

He himself takes part in numerous such walking and trekking sessions along with senior officers and other personnel.

Recently, disciplinary action has been ordered against a doctor of the force for alleged lapses in declaring a 160 kg jawan fit for undertaking a physical fitness course during which he died.

The 45-year-old constable had died on July 17 just after he reported for a physical fitness course at the BSF subsidiary training centre in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.