New Delhi: A circular issued by a senior CRPF officer making a pledge to donate organs compulsory for getting leave has sparked a controversy in the country's biggest paramilitary force.
Sources said a DIG posted in Assam's Silchar, B.D. Das, recently issued a circular titled "checklist for leave", making it mandatory for personnel under his command to pledge organs while seeking leave.
The checklist has a leave application form asking for details such as filing of electoral forms, linking bank accounts with Aadhaar and certificate of annual firing practice, besides pledging organs.
On a list of requirements for seeking leave, the second point says " angdan parpatr" (or organ donation pledge). An applicant has to tick the box next to it to mention if he has pledged to donate his organs.
"This is authoritarian and a blatant violation of the Central Services Rules, 1972, where there is no mention of organ donation while applying for leave. The circular is mischievous and is aimed at harassing personnel to deny them leave," a senior CRPF officer posted in Delhi said.
Asked whether the circular will be withdrawn, top CRPF officers in Delhi said they were looking into it.
Officials in the Union home ministry appeared to be shocked at the inclusion of organ donation in the leave application form.
"The circular has been issued at a time when denial of leave to paramilitary personnel is said to be one of the main reasons for the increasing number of suicides among them," an official said.
Early this year the ministry had told a parliamentary panel that 700 personnel of the central armed forces had committed suicide in the past six years, more than those killed in action.
The ministry had said personnel stayed away from home for 10-11 months a year and it was one of the main reasons for suicides as they were overworked and often denied leave, leading to marital strife and domestic disputes.
The armed forces have also witnessed a large number of cases of fragging - killing or attempting to kill a senior officer - after being denied leave.
According to a notification by the health ministry for its employees, organ donation is a voluntary decision and no one can force anyone to donate his or her organs as many emotional and religious issues are related to such an activity in India. A person having already made the pledge has the option to withdraw it.
Asked about his circular, DIG Das told The Telegraph: "Where from did you get a copy of the circular having the new leave application format? I am out of town and cannot say in detail what is written there."
CRPF spokesperson Dhinakaran said in Delhi that pledging organs was a matter of choice. "Nobody can force personnel to donate their organs. We raise awareness among subordinates regarding organ donation but cannot compel anyone to do so," he said.
According to data available with the Union home ministry, as many as 27,862 personnel and officers of the central armed police forces have either resigned or taken voluntary retirement over the past three years.
The maximum attrition was reported from two of the largest paramilitary forces of the country - 10,620 personnel quit the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 11,198 left the Border Security Force (BSF) between 2015 and January 2018.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) reported the attrition of 3,410 personnel, followed by 1,122 from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), 994 from Assam Rifles and 518 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Stress, denial of leave, long separation from families, sometimes humiliation by senior officers and colleagues, slow promotions and poor working conditions were among the key reasons for the rising attrition rates, besides better job avenues.
