Women BSF recruits start training

KHARKAN (HOSHIARPUR): History was created at Hoshiarpur's BSF Subsidiary Training Centre, Kharkan, after the first all-woman batch comprising 179 recruits including 40 from West Bengal started their training on Monday to man Indian borders.
Altogether 612 girls were recruited in June 2008. Over 8,500 candidates had applied. The trainees have been divided into four batches.The training for the other three batches will start on November 17, December 15 and December 30 respectively.
IG, Punjab Frontier, Himmat Singh told reporters, ``Four all women barracks had been created to house the recruits. Special medical facilities are also being provided.'' According to BSF, the recruits will be trained in handling weapons and explosives, map reading, border management, Indian Laws including IPC, CrPC, customs and passport. The recruits will also given training in jungles for four weeks.
The trained recruits will be deployed in north and south Bengal as well as along India-Pakistan border for frisking women crossing the borders to work as farm labourers. Their services will also be utilised on Internal security, he said.
Punjab has 553 km of international border with 300 gates with Pakistan to facilitate farmers to cross-over for cultivation. One of the trainees, 21 year-old Jyoti Bala, who hails from Gurdaspur district, said, ``Joining BSF will help her fulfil both her goals ^ to live life adventurously as well as serve the country.''