Defence Ministry to set up 3 Committees to accelerate Border Infrastructure Projects

The Defence Ministry in its meeting on 17 April 2012, decided to set up three new committees to accelerate procurements and border infrastructure projects. The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister A K Antony and attended by senior Army officers.

An empowered committee was set up under the defence secretary to expedite infrastructure development in the Northern region that has borders with both China and Pakistan. A new committee was also set up to decide on whether the Army will get combat aviation assets, a sore point with the Air Force that has insisted that all aerial assets should be under its command.

The Ministry decided to send a request to the Finance Ministry on recruitment for the Military Engineering Service and also to create eight additional porter companies, to transport material through difficult terrain.

The third committee, under the Vice Chief of Army Staff was set up to look into purchase of equipment for the Special Forces, which use MP-5 sub-machine guns, AK-47 and Israeli assault rifles that have not been modernised. This panel is to work on the lines of the one created to deal with purchases for troops posted in Siachen area.

The ministry also decided to ask the Planning Commission to sanction 14 new strategic railway lines including a line each to Ladakh and the Tawang plateau in order to bolster defence along the Sino-Indian border.

A new proposal was prepared during the meeting to expand the Military Engineering Services (MES) to cope with the increased construction activity planned along the borders. The ministry gave the Army the go-ahead to raise eight new porter companies to facilitate construction and resupply activity.