The newly appointed Chief Minister Shri Subhendu Adhikari has made this new announcement by launching the ‘West Bengal Arjuna Bahini’. This force will act as the state’s disaster relief force. Under this Arjuna Bahini, the government is going to recruit retired soldiers below the age of 40. In the first phase, there are plans to select a total of 200 members in this force.
Out of which 100 will be deployed in Kolkata, 50 in Darjeeling and the remaining 50 in the Sundarbans. The main objective of recruiting retired soldiers to form this force is to respond quickly during natural disasters in different parts of West Bengal and provide assistance to the people.
What is West Bengal Arjun Vahini?
First of all, let us know what is the ‘Arjun Bahini’. It was recently formed by the West Bengal government and will work as a special disaster response force. This force has been taken by ex-servicemen and ex-firefighters under the age of 40. In the first phase, this force has been formed with a total of 200 members.
The members of this force will be assigned to various disaster-prone areas of the state. These include Kolkata, Sundarbans and the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. In the first phase, there will be 100 members in Kolkata, 50 in Sundarbans and 25 members each in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
‘Arjun Bahini’ was launched on September 1, 2026. This force will be used for rapid rescue and relief work during natural and other disasters. The force has been created on the model of NDRF, so that it can reach the spot quickly in times of danger.
Arjun Vahini Disaster Force West Bengal – Key Highlights
| Key Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Force Name | Arjun Vahini |
| Category | Disaster Response Force |
| Announced By | Chief Minister of West Bengal |
| Who Can Join | Retired Soldiers / Ex-Servicemen |
| Eligibility | Must be registered with the Sainik Board and must be a former Agniveer |
| Age Requirement | Below 40 years |
| Initial Strength | 200 Members |
| Posts | Veer Nayak and Nayak |
| Monthly Pay | ₹40,000 for Veer Nayak and ₹25,000 for Nayak |
| Annual Increment | 3% Increment |
Total Posts and Deployment of Arjun Vahini
Initially, a total of 200 soldiers will be added to the Arjuna force. They will be initially deployed in disaster-prone areas of the state. Later, they may also be deployed in various tourist destinations of the state.
| Deployment Area | Number of Members |
|---|---|
| Total Posts | 200 |
| Kolkata | 100 |
| Darjeeling Hills | 50 |
| Sundarbans | 50 |
Arjun Vahini: Posts, Salary and Service Period
The soldiers of this ‘Arjun Bahini’ force will have a four-year contract with the government, and the force will be tasked with responding rapidly to disasters and emergencies.The soldiers will be paid according to their job roles. There will be two ranks within this force: ‘Veer’ (team member) and ‘Veer Nayak’ (team leader).
| Post | Monthly Salary |
|---|---|
| Veer | ₹25,000 per month |
| Veer Nayak | ₹40,000 per month |
| Annual Increment | All soldiers will receive a 3% annual increment |
Additional Benefits given to Arjun Vahini Members
- In case of death: If a member of the force is seriously injured or dies by accident, he will get insurance cover up to 10 lakh taka.
- In case of disability: If an eligible member of the force becomes permanently disabled, he will get insurance cover of 5 lakh taka.
Eligibility Criteria
If you want to join this ‘Arjun Bahini Force’, then it is important to know first what qualifications you need to have. Those qualifications are given below.
| Eligibility Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| State Registration | The candidate must be a West Bengal ex-serviceman and registered with the Sainik Board of the State. |
| Previous Service | The candidate must have previous service experience as a retired Army person or former Agniveer. |
| Age Criteria | The age of the retired person must be below 40 years. |
| Other Requirement | The candidate must be physically and medically fit at the time of joining the Force. |
Documents Requirement
| Document Type | Required Documents |
|---|---|
| Service-Related Documents | Discharge Certificate, Pension Order, Ex-Serviceman Identity Card and Service Certificate |
| Identity & Citizenship Proof | Aadhaar Card, Voter Card and West Bengal Domicile Certificate |
| Fitness Certificate | Medical and Physical Fitness Certificate |
| Educational Documents | Minimum Class 10 Pass Marksheet as age proof |
| Bank Account Details | Photostat copy of the first page of the bank passbook showing Account Number, IFSC Code and Applicant’s Name |
| Photographs | 3 to 4 Passport-Size Photographs |
Arjun Vahini Selection and Joining Process
The West Bengal government will not conduct any examination for the recruitment of candidates in this force. And all the recruitment process will be conducted directly through the State Sainik Board. The State Sainik Board will screen and conduct the recruitment process with the registered ex-servicemen of West Bengal.
How to Apply for West Bengal Arjun Vahini Through Sainik Board
- All soldiers will have to register with the State Soldier Board after retirement. Then they will have to submit all the necessary documents for their service.
- Then the State Soldier Board will issue their ex-soldier identity cards and their names will be kept in the list.
- After this, the board will scrutinize all the candidates for this force according to their age.
- The board will also verify their previous service records and there should be no problem there.
- Then all the candidates selected according to their age and previous service records will have to pass the physical and medical examination.
- After completing all the above work, the board will make a contract with the selected candidates for one year.
- The maximum service period in this force is 4 years. So at the end of every year, the board will verify the work progress and physical fitness of the candidates to keep the contract active.
FAQs
A maximum of 4 years can be worked in this force.
There are two posts in this force, Bir Nayak and Bir.
Only ex-soldiers and ex-fire fighters can join this force.
The age should be below 40 years at the time of joining this force.
A total of 200 members will be recruited in this force in the first phase.