MHA, MoD spar over 'operational control' of ITBP

Sources in the home ministry told Deccan Herald there was no “such possibility” with the home and external affairs ministries in agreement for continuing the status quo.
“ITBP is deployed along the Sino-India border during the peace time and changing the current arrangement would be against the UN norms of not deploying the Army at times of no-conflict,” they said.

The move by the Army through the ministry is reported to have come after the alleged differences with the ITBP in the Leh sector earlier this year when the para-military force refused to withdraw from the Line of Actual Control following the presence of the Chinese troops in the Nyoma sector. Asked about the said incident, sources said no such development was brought to the notice of the home ministry by the defence ministry.

On whether there was a new thinking on changing deployment pattern on the Sino-India border, sources made a cryptic response saying “a lot is happening on the China border.”
The government has recently decided to undertake phase-wise construction of 27 roads totalling 804 km in the border areas along the India-China border in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to be constructed by the home ministry for operational purposes of the ITBP.

All these roads are strategic border roads and are located in a very high altitude area on the India-China border which is regularly patrolled by the ITBP. These areas are generally covered by snow for more than six months.Assam Rifles, one of the oldest para-military forces being under the operational command of the Army, has reopened the argument as why the ITBP cannot be put under the control of the defence ministry. As a riposte, the home ministry is seeking Assam Rifles under its operational control.

The GoM which was constituted after the Kargil conflict had suggested that the home ministry be given Assam Rifles. Sources in the home ministry said while Assam Rifles should come to the home ministry, there was no question of the ITBP being handed over to the defence ministry.