NEW DELHI, July 17:
Boosting Army’s war fighting capabilities along the Line of Actual Control, Government today gave a go ahead to the creation of a corps including deployment of 50,000 additional troops along the China border at a cost of around Rs 65,000 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh cleared the proposal in its meeting, sources told reporters.
As part of the plans, the around 1.3 million-strong Army is expected to raise the new Corps’ headquarters at Panagarh in West Bengal along with two divisions in Bihar and Assam and other units from Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne were also present at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for providing any possible clarifications, if any, sought by the CCS members including Defence Minister A K Antony, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
As per the plans, the IAF will also deploy its force multiplier assets such as six each mid-air refuelling tankers and C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft at Panagarh.
The Army had sent the proposal in this regard in 2010 but it was returned by the Government asking the three Services to work together on plans to strengthen their capabilities in that region.
The Army will also get a number of new armoured and artillery divisions along with it to be deployed along the Northeast region.
The existing Strike Corps in the force include the 1, 2 and 21 Corps are all based close to the Pakistan border and are mainly armed to fight a land battle unlike the new Corps which will mainly focus on mountain warfare.
The Army will raise the troops and formations as per its plans in next seven years.
The Army has been taking a number of steps to strengthen its defences along the China border and already raised two divisions there in recent past.
The force is also planning to procure ultra-light howitzers, light tanks and helicopters to be deployed along the LAC to strengthen Indian positions there against the backdrop of the major military infrastructure modernisation on the Chinese side, sources said.
The Army and the IAF have also plans of deploying ballistic and cruise missile units in the northeastern region and have also activated several helipads and air fields for its aircraft and choppers to operate in the north eastern sector.
The Army will raise the troops and formations as per its plans in next seven years.
The Army has been taking a number of steps to strengthen its defences along the China border and already raised two divisions there in recent past.
The force is also planning to procure ultra-light howitzers, light tanks and helicopters to be deployed along the LAC to strengthen Indian positions there against the backdrop of the major military infrastructure modernisation on the Chinese side, sources said.
The Army and the IAF have also plans of deploying ballistic and cruise missile units in the northeastern region and have also activated several helipads and air fields for its aircraft and choppers to operate in the north eastern sector.
Meanwhile, security agencies are continuing with the interrogation of three Chinese youths who had intruded into the northern sector of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir recently even as top officials said that they would not be deported but sent back into their territory.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief Ajay Chadha today said the trio could not be deported and the “law will take its own course”.
Sources in the Home Ministry and ITBP said that these youngsters would be pushed back into their territory after their interrogation is finished and it is established that they had strayed into Indian side by mistake and with no ulterior motives.
This is the usual legal way in such instances, the sources said.
Salamo, Abdul Khaliq and Adil Thorsong are at present in the custody of security agencies at Margo post in north of Ladakh after being detained on June 12 and had told interrogators about their dreams to enter India and earn money as they were facing acute poverty in their region.
The trio had claimed they were driven out by extreme poverty from home and wanted to come to India because they had seen it as a land of prosperity on the silver screen.
The three men, aged between 18 and 23 were nabbed inside Indian territory on June 12 near Sultanchku.
It was also not clear from where they had come as the nearest habitation across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was in north of Karakoram range.
Authorities are working on the possibility that they could have entered through either Raki Nallah, Jeevan Nallah or north of Daulat Beig Oldie, where Indian and Chinese troops had a face-off for nearly 21 days from April 15 to May 5.
The three men also could not give a clear description of the areas used by them to come to India.
Besides this, apprehension was being expressed that the three could have been heading towards Pakistan occupied Kashmir which is barely 30 km up north of the area where they were nabbed.
The three men were carrying a big political map and two smaller versions of the document with Arabic and Yarkandi script on it.
Besides this, they were carrying improvised swords and knives, tinned food including egg powder (useful in higher region), Chinese currency of over 900 Yuan and Chinese leather jackets. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel