Imphal, July 08: Due to separate promotion procedures riflemen of both the Manipur Rifles and India Reserve Battalion have been left out in the cold.

While MR riflemen who had served for a long period but are yet to be promoted are today a frustrated lot with a similar fate gripping IRB riflemen as there is no clear cut policy for promotion for riflemen, according to source.

The MR personnel are graded for promotion from riflemen to lance naik and then naik compared to IRB riflemen whose next promotion ought to be directly to the rank of havildar as lance naik or naik post are not created.

As both the State security personnel operate under the State DGP complications arise when MR men had to scale through lance naik while IRB riflemen could aspire to become havildars, detailed the source.

Moreover, dissension is brewing among the lower rank MR personnel as no promotion procedure from lance naik to haik post were affected for the last three year, it said.

Curtailing promotion avenues has also led to vacant post for 11 Subedar rank, 33 Jamadar, 20 havildar, 236 naiks and 180 lance naiks in Manipur Rifles battalion.

Similarly IRB personnel are also feeling the pinch due to lack of clear cut promotion policy from riflemen to higher post as there is every likelihood of the MR personnel revolting when their IRB counterparts are directly promoted to havildar from riflemen.


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