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Army to cut troops by 50,000, Fernandes tells Rajya Sabha

The army plans to cut troops strength by about 50,000 personnel and rechannelise the savings into modernisation programmes, Defence Minister George Fernandes said today.

In written replies to questions in the Rajya Sabha, Fernandes said the army is committed to optimal utilisation of all available human and material resources.

Allocation of resources to the army is made within the overall resource availability, keeping in view the requirements of national security and other sectors of defence and economy.

During the last decade, a number of proposals by the army for modernisation, conversion and induction of equipment have been approved and implemented.

The government has no reports that China has recently deployed a large number of troops equipped with highly sophisticated weapons on the Indo-China border.

Constant vigil is being maintained on the border and all developments are monitored, the minister said, adding that necessary measures are taken as required to maintain defence preparedness.

UNI

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