At least 40 officers from two Border Security Force battalions in Punjab have been quarantined after it emerged that they threw parties at their officers’ mess early this month, violating not only the government’s directives on social distancing but also a circular issued by their chief.

Both the battalions, sources said, are deployed in Amritsar but no other details were immediately available.

Sources said the Union home ministry has sought a report from the border-guarding paramilitary force on the alleged violation of social-distancing norms by the officers.

“The ministry has got reports that officers of the two battalions in Punjab had thrown a birthday party and a reception for a new officer who joined the rank in their respective officers’ mess, throwing all norms of social distancing to the winds. We have sought a report from the top brass,” a ministry official said.

Asked about the alleged violation of social-distancing norms, BSF director-general S.S. Deswal said: “Our officers are responsible enough to maintain Covid-19 safety protocol. They are taking all precautions 24×7.”

He also said social-distancing norms were maintained at the two parties but did not comment on the quarantining of the 40-odd officers.

The paramilitary forces, which function under the Union home ministry, have reported a major spike in Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks, with over 850 personnel infected with the virus so far.

The BSF accounts for the maximum number of these cases with 300 infected personnel, most of them from Delhi, Calcutta and Agartala.

Six Covid-19 deaths have also been reported from among three of the country’s seven paramilitary forces that function under the home ministry.

The BSF has reported two deaths, the Central Industrial Security Force has reported three and the Central Reserve Police Force, one.

The 2.5-lakh-strong BSF, which mainly guards the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from performing a variety of internal security duties, had last month issued a circular asking all personnel, irrespective of rank, to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 protocol and warned of disciplinary action in case of violations.

Sources said the circular from the BSF chief came after a deputy commandant who had returned from leave invited colleagues from his unit to his residence.

“The circular was issued after it was brought to the notice of the force’s top brass that some officers were not following the Covid-19 guidelines/instructions issued from time to time,” a BSF official said.

According to the circular, every personnel who returns from leave, irrespective of rank, should be quarantined under the supervision of doctors. No home quarantine is permitted.

Some BSF officers have also raised questions about a tea party that was held at the force’s headquarters on April 30 where the entire top brass was apparently present. The party had been thrown for an officer who had retired.

Asked about the April 30 party, BSF chief Deswal said social-distancing norms were maintained there too.

On May 4, two floors of the BSF headquarters in south Delhi’s Lodhi Road were sealed after a head constable posted there tested positive for Covid-19.

A day earlier, the CRPF headquarters in the same complex had been sealed when a jawan, attached to the office as a bus driver, tested positive.

Last month, nearly 150 CRPF officers, including director-general A.P. Maheshwari, had been home-quarantined after they came into direct or indirect contact with the force’s chief medical officer who had tested positive for Covid-19.

That had triggered a scare in the force and all those who had indirect contact with him were also told to stay in home quarantine till their test reports came in.

The home ministry has asked the heads of all the paramilitary forces to contact-trace personnel who might have come in touch with infected colleagues and to be quarantined.