New Delhi, Oct 20 (IANS) The paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force is to provide over 100 satellite phones, all-terrain vehicles and oxygen cylinders to its troopers along the Indo-China border, a top official said here Tuesday.
All forward posts are being provided computers, all-terrain vehicles, direct satellite phone terminal, recovery vehicles, green hut and stainless steel utensils, said ITBP Director General Vikram Srivastava.

“Our troopers in far flung areas can now interact with their families through Internet and satellite phones. Each border outpost will also be provided with two 620 litres capacity oxygen cylinders,” he said during the force’s 48th raising day parade here.

Srivastava said the salaries of troopers would be directly credited to their accounts. “Earlier the troopers were given salaries in cash. We have also asked the government to authorise ration and Siachin clothing on par with the army at all our forward posts. The government has shown positive response towards the proposal.”

ITBP is the only central paramilitary force deployed along the Indo-China border.

Srivastava said the government has assigned it the new responsibility of fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

“We are deploying four battalions the counter insurgency operations in both the states. One battalion has already been deployed in Raipur,” he added.