ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Siachen defence needs to be met immediately

The various weaponry and related requirements of the troops deployed at Siachen will be met immediately, it was decided by the defence ministry today.

A high-level meeting chaired by Defence Minister George Fernandes also cleared a large number of other proposals for improving the working conditions of troops deployed at the inhospitable Siachen glacier.

The meeting, attended by Army Chief General V P Malik, Air Chief Marshal S K Sareen, scientific adviser to the defence minister A P J Abdul Kalam, Defence Secretary Ajit Kumar, Defence Production and Supplies Secretary Prabir Sengupta and order Roads Organisation Director General Lt General R J Mordecai was held following Fernandes' announcement after his recent visit to Siachen that the requirements of the troops there would be prioritised.

The meeting took wide-ranging decisions, some pending for several years, in respect of better communication, transportation, supplies and improved welfare measures.

The central heating system at Siachen hospital, out of order since 1994, will be replaced immediately.

The physiotherapy centre at Srinagar base hospital will be modernised forthwith. Orders have already been placed for computer tomography scan facilities at the hospital and magnetic resonance imaging for cerebral and spinal injuries at the command hospital at Udhampur.

An important decision taken at the meeting which would effect a saving of Rs 400 million, was to reuse the clothing used by soldiers at the glacier at lower altitude.

The lack of decision in this regard so far has resulted in accumulation of the special clothing at the Siachen ordnance logistic gallery at Khalsar.

The wall-climber winch mechanism for use by soldiers in the glacier will be bought immediately.

Efforts were already on to secure lightweight binoculars, telescope, hand-held range finders and thermal imagers.

Keeping in view the limited capacity of the Indian Air Force, airlift of troops by IAF will be supplemented by chartered civil flights. This will go a long way in reducing the load on transit camps.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report