New Delhi: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), country’s frontline security force along the Chinese border, will have a new chief in the next few days after incumbent Ajay Chadha retires on Saturday.
The Union Home Ministry has, however, not announced a new Director General for the about 65,000 personnel strong mountain-trained paramilitary force and the top post will be held in an additional capacity by Additional Director General (ADG) Mahboob Alam.
The Ministry today said Alam, a 1981-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, will handle the charge of ITBP DG from September 1. Chadha, a 1977-batch IPS officer of AGMU cadre, had taken over the DG post in December last year. Sources said the name of the new chief for the force will be announced in a few days after a meeting is held and the name of the officers panel is sent to the Appointments committee headed by the Prime Minister.
The ITBP guards the 3,488 km long Sino-Indian frontier and the brave role of its troopers was highlighted recently when they rendered relief and rescue duties in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand floods and rains. Fifteen of its personnel were also killed in a chopper crash during the same operations.
The force, apart from border guarding duties, is deployed for a variety of duties in anti-Naxal operations theatre, VIP security and others. (PTI)