Army warns Punjab government to move Agnipath recruitment drive to other states: Report

Army's zonal recruitment officer in Punjab's Jalandhar has written to the AAP-led state government accusing the local administration of not extending support in the recruitment of soldiers under the Agnipath scheme, a report said. The officer has written in a letter dated September 8 that the recruitment drive be shifted to other states.

The letter was addressed to Punjab's Chief Secretary VK Janjua and another senior officer Kumar Rahul. In the letter, the officer wrote that the support from the local administration was "vacillating" and that it was citing their "inadequacies due to lack of directions from the state government or lack of funds", Indian Express reported.

The Army demanded that the administration must provide police assistance and administrative support for the recruitment rally. They also need to provide medical support, rain shelters, water, toilets and food for Army aspirants. 

It warned that until the administration promised to provide these support services, it might decide to keep the recruitment in abeyance or move the drive to other states.

The Army is scheduled to hold recruitment rallies in Gurdaspur between September 1 and September 14 and in Patiala between September 17 and September 30.

Kumar Rahul downplayed the letter saying he spoke to the general and all the rallies will be conducted smoothly. 

The Agnipath scheme, which curtailed the service durations for most of the recruits, was implemented earlier this year after widespread protests against the new service regime. 

The scheme was implemented to lower the age profile of the armed forces and curtail the ballooning recruitment bills.