Suvendu Adhikari announces recruitment of 1,000+ Gorkha youths into state forces
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has stated that the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) will be made operational again, alongside a plan to recruit more than 1,000 Gorkha youths into state security forces, including the EFR and the West Bengal Police.
The initiative is aimed at addressing long-standing demands of the Gorkha community, which has been seeking greater representation and employment opportunities in state security services.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has described the move as a necessary correction of what it calls a prolonged gap in implementation under the All India Trinamool Congress government.
As part of the plan, the EFR is expected to be strengthened through increased recruitment, with Gorkha youths playing a larger role in its functioning. The proposal is also being projected as a step to generate employment opportunities for young people in the Darjeeling hills and nearby regions.
Adhikari said that greater inclusion of Gorkha personnel would improve the efficiency and reach of the EFR, while also addressing local aspirations for representation in state security institutions.
The announcement has triggered political discussion in the state, with the BJP defending the move as corrective, while the ruling Trinamool Congress has not yet issued a detailed response.
The development is expected to fuel further debate in West Bengal over recruitment policies, regional representation, and the structure and functioning of state police forces going forward.
