The decision of the Union government to decorate the troops guarding high altitude border outposts above 9,000 feet is indeed a very appreciable step, which will go a long way in boosting morale of the men and women of these forces, who are discharging their duties in extreme harsh and tough conditions. The honour announced by the Union Home Minister recently will be the recognition of their valour and commitment to duty amid difficult environs of weather as also the mountainous terrains. This was stated by BJP State Spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan while terming this new policy of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government as the reflection of concern towards security forces of the country. He said that after coming to power at the centre, Narendra Modi government has not merely been showing immense concern but also translating this into actions taking with numerous steps aimed at welfare and well being of the army and para-military forces.
“While the previous governments at the Centre did not take any decision on One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue in last 40 years, Modi government cleared the same within one and half year”, Balbir said and added that the PM himself has high regards for men of army and other security forces. The PM in his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday dedicated this year’s Diwali festival to soldiers. Besides, when the people celebrated Diwali with their families, PM chose to visit borders to be with them to celebrate the festival.
The spokesperson further said that the High Attitude Medal, which will be decorated to the personal of Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), who have been rendering their services on borders touching Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. The government has taken this step as it is well aware of the fact that these troops are doing their duty in extremely adverse and tough conditions. For years they have been discharging their duty with a sense of commitment and responsibility and harsh conditions have failed to dampen their spirit and morale, the BJP spokesperson said. It is pertinent to mention that many ITBP posts are located at a height of 9,000 ft up to 14,500 ft, the BJP leader further said.
