ITBP to have 90,000-strong force by 2015

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police, India’s security force along the Sino-India border, will continue its expansion over the next three years to become 90,000-strong by 2015, ITBP director general Ranjit Sinha said on Thursday, Aloke Tikku reports.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), India’s security force along the Sino-India border, will continue its expansion over the next three years to become 90,000-strong by 2015, ITBP director general Ranjit Sinha said on Thursday.

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It had just 1,500 men when set up soon after the 1962 Indo-China war. The ITBP, however, has been on expansion mode over the last few years — doubling its strength from 36,000 in 2004 to 77,000 this year.

“Its strength will further increase to 89,000 by 2015," Sinha said.

ITBP personnel are deployed for border-guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir), to Jechap La in Arunachal Pradesh, covering 3,488 km of the Indo-China border.

They man border outposts at altitudes ranging from 9,000 feet to 18,600 feet.

ITBP officials acknowledged that Indian air space was violated by the Chinese two-three times this year.