ew Delhi: The Indian Army will be raising three additional battalions — with a total of about 3,000 troops — to add to its manpower as part of its larger reorganisation plan and options to raise more are open, ThePrint has learnt.

Defence sources told ThePrint the sanction for the move was accorded around 2013, when the raising of the 17 mountain corps was granted. However, the final nod to raise the battalions was received a few weeks ago, they added.

The 17 corps was supposed to have two divisions instead of the regular three, but only the 59 Division now based in Panagarh, West Bengal, was raised, while the other was shelved due to financial constraints.

The additional three battalions will be raised as part of the Sikh, Kumaon, and Jammu and Kashmir Rifles regiments.

The Army told ThePrint the move is part of an ongoing reorganisation plan and not a fallout of the India-China face-off in Ladakh.

“It is not possible to raise all the battalions in one go, so it is phased out,” a senior Army officer told ThePrint.

The decision comes amid a protracted standoff with China at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and the subsequent disengagement of the troops, which is currently underway.

India’s defence establishment had time and again said a collusive threat of a two-front conflict with China and Pakistan cannot be ruled out in the future.

“While the disengagement is under way at eastern Ladakh, India will be reviewing the border management posture and there might be a necessity to keep additional troops available in case of any contingency in the region,” a source said.

While the raising of the three battalions are to be done now, sources said options are open for more raisings in future depending on operational requirements.

Currently, there are over 400 infantry battalions in the Army.While there have been talks of the Army working on reducing overall manpower as part of a restructuring, the ultimate aim is to enhance the tooth to tail ratio, and provisioning fighting arms with additional manpower is one of the ways, Army officers explained.

Also read: Indian & Chinese infantry soldiers begin moving back from Kailash Range south of Pangong Tso

Other possible reasons

A second defence source said there would also be a requirement of additional troops in the reorganised strike corps.

ThePrint was the first to report that the Army is looking to keep two strike corps for the mountains facing China and repurposing the Mathura-based 1 corps.

Senior officers said there is always a requirement of additional infantry — both to hold ground and to carry out offensive actions, especially in the mountains.

The second source explained that the increase in battalions will also cater to better management of the peace and field profile of the soldiers.

Due to the Ladakh standoff, a large number of units, which had moved to their peace locations after field positions, had to be deployed in Ladakh immediately, leaving them with little time in peace locations.

It takes approximately six months to raise a battalion, for which the manpower is contributed by other battalions of the regiment along with new recruits.

Once raised, the battalion moves for a peace station profile where they can train, before moving to field areas for their operational deployment.

‘Rebalancing of formations in the western sectors’

Experts said the need to raise new battalions could have stemmed from the requirement of additional commitments in eastern Ladakh in future.

“In future, there could be a requirement of additional battalions permanently stationed in the area,” Lt. Gen. Rakesh Sharma (retired), former 14 corps commander and adjutant general in the Army, who had handled manpower closely, told ThePrint.

“The decision could have also been taken in view of the rebalancing of formations in the western sectors and the strike corps, specially the 17 strike corps, which was partially raised with one division,” he said.

“However, it is also essential to direct the rebalancing methodology to combating new domains of warfare, such as cyber and space,” he added.

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New Delhi: The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved further delegation of financial powers under capital procurement that empowers command heads of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy to make expenses to the tune of Rs 100 crore at their own discretion.

Speaking to ThePrint, a senior defence official said this move — which comes in the wake of emerging security challenges — marks the first time financial powers have been devolved below the vice-chief level for capital procurement of specified items.

“This delegation of powers within service headquarters and up to command level for items of capital nature such as overhauls, refits, upgrades etc., will enhance the utility of existing assets and will facilitate faster processing and implementation of projects for modernisation of the armed forces to meet the security challenges of the nation,” the Union Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

According to the government statement, under the Other Capital Procurement Procedure (OCPP) of the Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (CD&S)/Master General Sustenance (MGS), Chief of Material (COM), Air Officer Maintenance (AOM), Deputy Chief Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS), and Additional Director General Indian Coast Guard (ADG ICG) can take decisions on procurements and repairs of up to Rs 200 crore.

The limit is Rs 100 crore for the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) at Services Command, and Regional Commanders of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

So far, vice-chiefs of the Army, the Navy, and the Deputy Chief of Air Staff were the competent financial authority for capital procurements of up to Rs 300 crore. The new set-up is a sub-delegation of this, not an enhancement.

This is different from the emergency financial powers granted to the services for urgent necessities relating to military preparedness to meet eventualities such as war or war-like situation, or natural calamities.

Last year, amid the India-China face-off, the government gave emergency powers to the armed forces to procure weapons systems of up to Rs 300 crore on an urgent basis. The services were granted similar powers after the Balakot airstrikes in February 2019.

The essence of delegating these powers is to expedite the procurement/repair of equipment/items/material/stores, and provisioning of various services, during times of urgent requirement.

Officers of the three services say the latest decision will facilitate the ease of doing business by aiding faster capital procurement at a time when India is working on modernising its armed forces.

Also Read: India’s defence needs money. If Budget can’t provide it, we need to change how we fight

‘Step in right direction’

A senior Army officer said the delegation of financial powers will speed up the procurement process primarily because the chain for processing of approvals will shorten.

“Secondly, procurement at command level is a better option to purchase theatre specific equipment, while central procurement is more appropriate for common equipment,” the officer added.

The officer said smaller-sized contracts will prove more viable for smaller vendors who may not have the capacity to handle large contracts at the services level, and will boost Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Modi government’s campaign to boost domestic manufacturing.

A senior Navy officer said that while the quantum of funds available had gone up over the years, the power of spending had not.

“The enhanced financial powers will enable senior officers of the services to take fewer sanctions to buy a higher quantity,” the officer added.

Citing the Navy Chief of Material (COM) as an example, the officer said, “The COM is a principal staff officer for procurement of spares and logistics of the Navy. By enhancing his powers, he will not need to go back to his higher authorities for financial clearances for cases which now lie within his own financial powers.”

“This will save voluminous paperwork and thus delays,” the officer added.

An IAF officer said timely procurement has a strategic impact on operational effectiveness since “modern aerial warfare is driven by technology and any delay can have a cascading effect on the potency of the force”.

“The decision is in the right direction and will cut down time from initial proposal to final procurement,” the officer added.

More financial powers

The Cabinet decision also enables the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, Vice-Chief of Army Staff, Vice-Chief of Naval Staff, Deputy Chief of Air Staff, and the Director General of Coast Guard to sanction government support of up to Rs 50 crore for prototype development — a move that could be seen as a bid to boost India’s self-reliance in defence.

According to the defence ministry statement, financial powers have also been enhanced for other competent authorities under ‘Make-I’ in line with the government’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India for a robust defence industrial ecosystem.

Projects under the Defence Procurement Procedure’s Make-I category involve government funding of 90 per cent, released in a phased manner and based on the progress of a scheme, under terms agreed between the defence ministry and the vendor.

Also Read: Indian military won’t reform by itself. But Parliament’s diluted role is a bigger concern

ribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19

Asserting that “no further relaxation on this account will be accorded”, the Centre today asked Punjab and Haryana to ensure electronic-mode payment of MSP to farmers from the coming procurement season.

Both state governments have been routinely approaching the Centre for granting exemption or seeking time for implementation of direct online payment initiative, the Ministry of Food and Public distribution and Consumer Affairs today said.

“The government is regularly pursuing with state governments of Punjab and Haryana for ensuring direct online payment into farmers’ accounts since 2015-16. The Centre has therefore directed them to ensure online payment to farmers through the e-mode from the upcoming season and that no further relaxation on this account will be accorded,” said a statement by the ministry headed by Piyush Goyal, who has been leading talks with farmer unions on the three Central farm laws along with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister Som Prakash.

The Centre also asked the state agencies to use the Expenditure Advance Transfer (EAT) module of the Public Financial Module System (PFMS) while making payment as mandated by the Finance Ministry.

Amid the ongoing agitation against the three laws, the ministry said the e-mode “far predates” the legislations and also that the “the government has no intention to eliminate arthiyas and neither is e-mode replacement of the current mandi system in Punjab and Haryana”.

New Delhi: Inaugurating the “DigiLocker” platform for the “Passport Seva Programme”, Union minister V Muraleedharansaid it would enable citizens to submit documents for passport in a paperless mode. TNS

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19

Amid signs of farmers’ protests sagging across the borders in Delhi, the Congress is expanding its formal association with the stir, revisiting its past role of a marginal spectator.

Leading this push are former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary (Uttar Pradesh) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.

Priyanka, who recently addressed a farmer mahapanchayat in Uttar Pradesh, will attend a similar event in Mathura tomorrow.

Kisan Morcha seeks ‘fair probe’ into Unnao case

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Friday demanded a “fair investigation” into the death of two minor girls in UP’s Unnao and strict punishment for the culprits. “Governance and administration in Uttar Pradesh is once again under suspicion. There is no safe space for women,” it said in a statement.

Pilot today addressed a mammoth kisan mahapanchayat in Jaipur, the first since Rahul Gandhi visited the state to express solidarity with the agitating farmers.

At the mahapanchayat at Kotkhawada in Jaipur, Pilot demanded the withdrawal of agriculture reform laws, saying these were both “anti-farmer and anti-people.” The Jaipur mahapanchayat ended with the passage of a resolution seeking farm law revocation, a legislation to mandate MSPs and a rollback of the fuel price hikes.

New Delhi, February 19

New anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM’s) – one fired from ground and other fired from air – are now ready for induction.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), announced on Friday “the missile systems are ready for induction”. The move comes after user trials were conducted for the Helina (Army Version) and Dhruvastra (Air Force Version). The Helina was fired from a ground station, while the advanced light helicopter (ALH) was used for the other one.

Five missions were carried out for evaluating the missile capabilities in minimum and maximum range. The missiles were fired at static and moving targets. Helina and Dhruvastra are third generation fire and forget anti-tank guided missiles. The system has all-weather day and night capability. — TNS