Women crowd Border Security Force recruitment centre in Punjab

Jalandhar, June 13 : Scores of enthusiastic women yesterday, thronged the recruitment centre of Border Security Force (BSF) in Jalandhar for getting into the elite force.

Coming from different districts of Punjab, they gathered at the BSF grounds to get into the force, which is deployed on the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

"I always wanted to join BSF. Earlier, only boys were given a chance. Now girls are also being given a chance, which is very good. I want to serve my country and move ahead in life," said Manpreet Kaur, an applicant.

Around 2800 girls imbued with patriotic zeal gave the test out of whom 680 would be finally selected.

"It is a good step for the us because women can do everything in the world. There are many examples like P.T Usha, Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. Women do many things," Simarjeet Kaur, applicant.

The recruitment is likely to solve the long time problem of BSF, which finds it difficult to check women crossing the border fence in Punjab.

"Some women cross the border fence in Punjab in search of work. We do not have any means to frisk them. We came up with the proposal to recruit women for this purpose and put them on duty on the border," said K J S Cheema, Deputy Inspector General, Border Security Force.

Girls from Punjab have welcomed the decision and they believe that this will enable them to work at par with men in domains, which were exclusively reserved for them.

ANI