CRPF orders immediate withdrawal of orderlies from retired brass in wake of COVID-19

The CRPF has ordered immediate withdrawal of scores of its personnel working as domestic help and orderlies with its retired or repatriated officials fearing they may contract coronavirus infection in the absence of proper health care facilities, officials said on Saturday.

The step has been taken in the country's largest paramilitary force, they said, after reports emerged recently that four jawans posted with a retired Additional Director General-rank officer of another paramilitary force had been infected with the novel coronavirus.

The force, as per information accessed by PTI, has directed its northern sector based in Delhi to "immediately withdraw" all orderlies, security personnel, drivers and cooks provided from its regular strength of 3.25 lakh personnel.

It has also begun a manpower audit to ascertain the number of men used for extending such privileges, the duration of these attachments and the order under which these postings were authorised.

"After a full manpower audit post May 17, only the most essential ones will be allowed to continue once the COVID-19 infection is contained."
The Union home ministry had taken note of this abuse of manpower in 2016 and had said such practices "create a wrong impression in the public mind and are also against the basic decorum and discipline of government service, more so of the uniformed forces."
A directive issued on September 21, 2016 on the subject of 'retention of manpower, vehicle etc by police officers at their residence even after their retirement' had asked state and central governments that such facilities should be withdrawn "within a period of one month of retirement of any police official."