Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: The Army would be strongly pursuing re-notification of at least 10 Field Firing Ranges (FFRs) in Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Civil Military Liaison Conference (CMLC), which is likely to be held anytime now as the troops continued to suffer in the absence of adequate firing ranges in the State, thus, hampering training of its soldiers.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Army Commanders have already taken up the matter with highest level in the State Government for re-notification of its 10 FFRs and would push for its during upcoming CMLC.
“The Army has prepared its case very strongly and would take up the matter in the CMLC and all other available forums to get the FFRs re-notified. Non availability of the FFRs has become a big issue for the Army as the troops were suffering,’’ they said, adding that the Army Commanders had also raised the issue during last meeting of the Unified Headquarters, which was chaired by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The delay to re-notify at least 10 FFRs has apparently stymied the Army’s training plans for its soldiers, who are deployed there in large numbers to counter both terrorism and infiltration threat emanating from Pakistan, which is growing with every passing day especially after latest disclosures about Pakistan army and Jamaat-ul-Dawa chief Hafiz Sayeed’s nexus.
According to sources, there were 12 firing ranges in J&K, which need to be ratified by the State Government after every five years. In all, the Army has 51 Field Firing Ranges across the country, out of which 12 are in J&K and the notification period of 10 has either expired or is expiring.
They pointed out that Army has two kinds of firing ranges – one operated directly by it and the other notified, where the forces move in and ask the local population to move out of the area. Acquired ranges are directly in control of the Army.
Notified ranges are located around the border areas of Army deployments, where it becomes extremely critical to have firing ranges in close vicinity of deployment.
“Re-notification is a difficult and lengthy process, with States required to take clearances from the Union Environment and Forests Ministry for use of forest land for non-forest activities,” the sources said.
Sources said that after the previous Government didn’t extend lease period of Tosa Maidan and Kaleeth firing ranges, Army now has been left with no other options but to send its jawans to Babina firing range in Madhya Pradesh and Mahajan and Pokhran firing ranges in Rajasthan, which was not only time consuming but also keep the Army personnel away from anti-militancy operations and LoC duty for a longer period.
“It has become a typical situation for the troops, who have been working under extremely tough circumstances sacrificing their everything including lives, to work on the LoC and other areas as part of counter-militancy duty without advanced training and practice,’’ sources said.
Pointing out that a number of artillery units were deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said their weapons and ammunition would be rusted in the absence of practice and advanced training as there were no major firing ranges left with the Army for training after the previous Government refused to extend lease period of Tosa Maidan firing range in Kashmir and Kaleeth firing range in Akhnoor, Jammu.
Sources said the Army was confident that the new Government would take little time in renewal of the firing ranges especially when the matter is taken up in the CMLC, which could be held anytime now.
“When the issue was taken up in the meeting of the Unified Headquarters here last month, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh had listened to the issue very patiently and advised the troops to take it up at the CMLC. They had assured the Army that the CMLC would be held shortly,’’ sources recalled.
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