SSB begins to weed out chronic liquor dependent troops

New Delhi: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards unfenced Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan, has identified at least 50 cases of “chronic” alcohol dependence among its troops, leading the paramilitary to launch termination from service proceedings against them.

About 8-10 personnel have been recently handed over the pink slip after conducting the medical and legal proceedings against them while similar proceedings against the rest are going on, officials told PTI.

The action is being taken against those staffers identified to have been suffering from the “chronic” urge to have liquor for many years and have been categorised as alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) cases.

Such troops become a threat to their own security and to the well-being of their colleagues and even the public, the officials said.

Once denied booze, such troops can take extreme steps and fatally or non-fatally hurt themselves or their colleagues given the fact that every SSB unit has firearms available in the camp, they said.

The officials added that SSB Director General Sanjay Singhal has taken a stern view on the issue during a review of the force conducted recently and directed for a time-bound action in these cases after required medical proceedings in which their medical category is reduced to a lower level than being fit, the officials said. Such personnel are placed in the low medical category (LMC) and are not tasked with operational duties, an officer explained.

The force is deployed for rendering vital security duties along the Nepal and Bhutan borders where interaction with the common public is routine. It has, hence, been decided to terminate the services of such troops who are suffering from ADS and have not been responding to treatment given over the last few years, the officials said. As per a definition provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, an individual with alcohol dependence tends to plan the day around procuring, using and experiencing its effects.

Use that persists in spite of being aware of the harms associated with alcohol abuse is another pointer towards dependence on alcohol, it said. The about 90,000-strong SSB is tasked to guard the unfenced

international borders with Nepal (1,751 kms) and Bhutan (699 kms) under the command of the Union home ministry.