Indian Army News & Discussions

[kurup]

India Lines Up Boeing for $2.4 Bln Helicopter Orders

Boeing appears set to get about $2.4 billion in military contracts from India, with a senior official saying that the country's the U.S. company's Chinook and Apache helicopters, and that commercial negotiations will begin soon.

India plans to buy a total of 15 Chinook CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters and 22 AH-64D Block III Apache helicopters, the official said.

He added that Boeing's twin-rotor Chinook was chosen recently as the preferred bidder over Russia-based MiL Moscow Helicopter Plant's Mi-26, while the Apache was selected over the Mi-28.

Another person familiar with the matter said the Chinook deal is likely to be worth about $1.0 billion and the Apache contract around $1.4 billion.

The potential deals will mark a major shift for India toward diversifying its defense purchases and moving away from its decades-long reliance on Russia. India already operates Mi-26 helicopters.

"Selection depends on the requirements that have been projected and whether that particular helicopter meets those requirements in the present and future scenarios," the Indian Air Force official said.

He said the acquisition as well as the lifecycle costs of the helicopters were considered carefully before taking a final decision. The commercial discussions with Boeing may take three to six months, he added.

An official at the Russian embassy in New Delhi confirmed that the Indian government has chosen the Apache and the Chinook. The person added, however, that Moscow believes that there may still be room for the Indian government to reconsider its decision for the Chinook, saying that the Mi-26 is better suited for the Indian Air Force.

The person added that the embassy hasn't yet received any official note on the decision from India's defense ministry.

U.S. military sales to India have been rising in recent years, helped by growing diplomatic relations between the two democracies and by India's push to replace its aging Soviet-vintage equipment as neighbors Pakistan and China expand their military capabilities.

In the past few years, Boeing has received contracts from India to supply C-17 Globemaster airlifters as well P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and antisubmarine aircraft for several billions of dollars. India also purchased Super Hercules C-130J military transport planes from Lockheed Martin Corp.

New Delhi plans to spend about 1.93 trillion rupees ($36 billion) on defense in the financial year through March 2013--an increase of 13% from last year. It has earmarked 795.79 billion rupees to buy new weapons.

Air Marshal R.K. Sharma, deputy chief of the Indian Air Force, said in September that 2 trillion rupees ($37 billion) will be spent in the next two decades ending March 31, 2022, to purchase new equipment. He said that about $4 billion worth of deals have already been signed.

India is currently in discussions also with France's Dassault Aviation SA to purchase 126 Rafale combat planes for an estimated $12 billion.

For the proposed Boeing helicopter orders, the person familiar with the matter said that the Chinooks will be bought directly from Boeing but the Apache contract will have to go through the foreign military sales route--a government-to-government mechanism for selling U.S. defense equipment wherein the purchaser deals with the U.S. government instead of the military contractor.

The person said one of the conditions in the Chinook bid document was that the competing helicopters must have the capability to lift M777 artillery guns manufactured by U.S.-based BAE Systems Inc.

Earlier this year, India's defense ministry approved a proposal to purchase 145 of the 155-millimeter, 39-caliber towed artillery guns from the unit of U.K.-based BAE Systems PLC.

Defence News - India Lines Up Boeing for $2.4 Bln Helicopter Orders

 

[kurup]

Engineering students line up to join army

Over 100 pre-final year engineering students from five colleges in and around Mangalore came on Monday to participate in the campus recruitment drive by the army in the city.“I never dreamt of a career in the Indian Army. I pursued engineering to get a job with an IT firm where one is locked in a cubicle or tied to a design board. The prospect of being an engineer in the Army is the best thing to happen to me,” said Ashwin of St Joseph’s College of Engineering, Mangalore.

Close to 300 students are waiting to get a chance to be recruited to the Army at similar drives at Canara Engineering College, Bantwal; Vivekananda Engineering College, Puttur; and Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal.

“The campus recruitment drive by the Army has elicited a good response from young engineers. This was the first stop of the drive. My colleagues in the Army working in two more groups will be holding similar drives in other parts of the state,” said Colonel Suresh Gigoo, who is heading the group that is holding recruitments in the southern districts.

“All the new recruits would be first soldiers than army engineers. They will know how to stand up and fight for the country when they are required. They will be trained at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) at Dehradun before they would be formally inducted into the Army. They have to hone the skills for protecting the country in their capacity as engineers” Gigoo said.

Principal of the host college, Nagesh Prabhu, said: “I have gone through the recruitment process and found it very elaborate. There has been a slowdown in the employment market. This trend has been amply reflected in the reduced numbers of campus recruitments by companies. But with the Army coming up with a campus recruitment drive, the chances of more students getting employed has brightened.”

The new recruits will start getting a stipend of up to `21,000 per month after their recruitment in the pre-final year. Later, they will get their full salary of up to `65,000 per month. This will happen only after their final induction into the service after they pass the Services Selection Board tests and training at IMA.

“ The army could match or even better the offers made by the many MNCs to the aspiring engineers. In addition, there are many other benefits that will follow during the course of the service. Importantly, the young engineers will be serving the country,” Gigoo said.

Shivendu, an electronics student from Bihar who is studying at St Joseph’s College of Engineering, said: “I would like to join the Army. The best part of the service in the Army is that you lead a disciplined, motivated and purposeful life”.

Major M Thimaiah said the recruiting group is expecting to get more than 200 students from three nodal centres in Bantwal (Canara Engineering College), Puttur (Vivekananda Engineering College) and Manipal (Manipal Institute of Technology). The recruitment group will then move on to Shimoga, Hassan, Chikmagalur and Kodagu.The recruitment group from Bangalore will recruit in Mysore and adjoining places.

Engineering students line up to join army | idrw.org

 

[arp2041]

Indian Army once bitten twice shy after former Chief’s age controversy

Stung by the ugly age controversy of its former Chief General VK Singh the Indian Army has started issued fresh guidelines to avoid such row over the date of birth of their future officers.

In its latest recruitment advertisement the Indian Army has been running a caveat – the age mentioned in the form is final, no request for changes will be entertained.

The caveat was part of the Indian Army’s latest recruitment advertisement under the Technical Entry Scheme for Permanent Commission. While inviting the applications from the “unmarried male candidates” who have passed their 10+2 examination, the advertisement issued by the Army Recruitment Cell had conditions applied.

“Candidate should note only the date of birth as recorded in the Matriculation/Higher Secondary Examination Certificate or an equivalent certificate on the date of submission of applications will be accepted and no subsequent request for its chance will be considered or granted,” the advertisement said categorically. The advertisement had appeared in national newspapers on Saturday.

Last year, the 1.1 million-strong Indian Army was in the eye of storm over the confusion over the date of birth of its Chief – General VK Singh said his date of birth was May 10, 1951 whereas the Ministry of Defence maintained it was May 10, 1950 as mentioned in the Chief’s form filled for National Defence Academy (NDA) and later to Indian Military Academy (IMA).

Also the Adjutant General branch that keep the personal record of the officer and the Military Secretary branch that looks after promotion and postings will have more interaction here on to avoid discrepancy in their records. Both the departments had different date of birth of the former Army Chief.

The controversy of age that has been plaguing the Indian Army for over last one year has its roots in NDA. It was while filling up the form for this esteemed institution that one of the teachers of the then 14-year-old General – a third generation officer - wrongly filled his year of birth as 1950 instead of 1951.

Thereafter the date of birth reflected in the Indian Military Academy's (IMA) form is also 1950, a fact contested by General Singh. However, the Defence Ministry had determined Army Chief's year of birth as reflected in his NDA and IMA form.

The controversy threatened to send the succession plans of the Indian Army in a tizzy and also saw some unprecedented developments like a serving Army Chief dragging the government of the day to the Supreme Court.

Taking its lessons from the controversy the Army has inducted this caveat in its recruitment advertisement. “This is only logical,” Army officials reacted to the development.


defence eXpress: Indian Army once bitten twice shy after former Chief’s age controversy

 

[kurup]

Pakistan refuses flag meeting after ceasefire violation

Srinagar : Pakistan has refused an Indian Army request for a flag meeting following last month s ceasefire violation in Uri sector of the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir, a senior army officer said here Tuesday.

Speaking to the media in north Kashmir s Baramulla town, Major General Bipin Rawat, general officer commanding (GOC) of the 19 Mountain Division said: "Pakistani authorities have refused our request for a flag meeting after their troops violated the ceasefire in Uri sector last month.

"They even denied having violated the ceasefire. Yesterday (Monday) also, Pakistan rangers violated the ceasefire in the Uri sector." Rawat said the ceasefire violations were meant to assist infiltration from the Pakistani side.

"They want to infiltrate as many terrorists as possible into our side before the snowfall although some snowfall has already occurred along the LOC," the GOC said. Three civilians were killed when Pakistan Rangers fired mortar shells at Churunda village near the LOC in Uri sector on October 16.

People living along the LOC and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir have been bearing the brunt of cross-border firing between Indian and Pakistan armies since 1947.

The bilateral ceasefire between the two countries, which was announced in November 2003, has come as a great relief for the border area residents as they have been able to grow crops and carry on their routine activities thanks to the guns falling silent.

Thus, the ceasefire is seen as a huge CBM towards improving relations between the two South Asian nuclear-armed neighbours.

Indian Defence News - Pakistan refuses flag meeting after ceasefire violation

 

[kurup]

Army chief visits ARTRAC in Shimla

Shimla : Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh visited the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) here and reviewed its training programmes, a statement said Wednesday.


"During his two-day visit beginning Tuesday, the army chief was briefed on the training aspects of the army," said a defence spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the army chief interacted with ARTRAC officers and asked the army think-tank to integrate technology with training.

Indian Defence News - Army chief visits ARTRAC in Shimla

 

[kurup]

No military tattoo for Vijay Diwas

KOLKATA: The military tattoo to mark Vijay Diwas, considered the biggest interface between the military and civilians in Kolkata, will not be held this year, thanks to the Indian Army's ongoing austerity drive. This was revealed by defence sources in Delhi. Officials in Kolkata are now considering to hold a similar show - though not on that grand scale - sometime in January, 2013, when a 'Know Your Army' exhibition is organized on the Maidan outside Fort William.

Some of them agree though that the purpose will be defeated as Vijay Diwas is celebrated in December each year to commemorate India's greatest ever military victory.

Vijay Diwas is celebrated to mark the surrender of the Pakistani Army in Dhaka on December 16, 1971, that led to the creation of Bangladesh. Several years later, the Army set up Vijay Smarak - a memorial for the fallen soldier - close to the Fort William gate.

Every year, on December 16, the General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Eastern Command and other senior officers of the Air Force and Navy lay wreaths at the memorial. Events are also organized and Mukti Joddhas from Bangladesh are also invited to participate in the celebrations and share their experiences. Till last year, the military tatoo used to be organized on two consecutive afternoons at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC). Entry would be free for all.

The military tatoo would involve the display of riding skills by the cavalry, fly-past by IAF choppers, skydiving by the Akash Ganga team, slithering by Special Forces personnel and a mock assault, displays by animals used by the military like dogs and mules, displays by motorcycle outriders and a military band. The show would wind up with a fireworks display. A couple of years ago, spectators had also witnessed the fly-past by a Su-30 aircraft.

"It will be very sad if the military tattoo is not held henceforth. This was one occasion where the people of the city could get a feel of what the military is all about. There would be great enthusiasm, particularly among youngsters and children who have to access to establishments like Fort William. I am sure that many youngsters got inspired to join the defence forces after watching the tatoo.

Moreover, such shows send out a message that the country recognizes the successes achieved by her armed forces.

I feel the tattoo should be continued," said a former Army commander who has been part of the show.

Apart from the interface with civilians, the event is a show of bonhomie between India and Bangladesh. Mukti Joddhas would get an opportunity to meet the officers who led the Army during the War of Liberation. The officers included Lt Gen (retd) JFR Jacob, who was the Eastern Command chief of staff during the War. At present, there are no serving officers in the Army, Navy or Air Force who was commissioned before the War. Gen (retd) V K Singh was the last officer to have served in the War.

It's still not clear whether other events will be held and whether Mukti Joddhas from Bangladesh and former GOC-in-Cs of the Eastern Command will be invited to the city.

Sources revealed that there are strict orders from the defence minister himself to maintain austerity.

During the commanders' conference, GOC-in-Cs were asked not to indulge in expenditure for events such as seminars, conferences and shows unless extremely important. For some years now, the Eastern Command has been trying to get corporate support to organize shows like the military tatoo but the response has been lukewarm. A lot of expenditure is actually involved in organizing such events as a lot of logistics has to be taken care of. Costs are also incurred in putting up the guests and hosting lunches and dinners for them.

Officials in Kolkata revealed little when asked about the decision.

"The Army is planning an event along with the 'Know Your Army' exhibition. Officials believe it makes little sense to hold two separate events," said Gr Capt T K Singha, CPRO, Ministry of Defence, Kolkata.

No military tattoo for Vijay Diwas - The Times of India

 

[kurup]

‘India should strive to become key player in cyber world’ : Deputy Chief of Army (Retired)

To attain dominant status as a world power, India should strive to become a key player in controlling cyber space, former Deputy Chief of Army Lt Gen (Retired) S S Mehta said today.

Mehta, while addressing at a national seminar on ‘Terrorism in South Asia’ in Aligarh Muslim University, said Asian countries like Indonesia and Sri Lanka had set benchmarks in the domain of cyber world and India should take note of this trend.

The former Deputy Chief of Army also said South Asia is a critical zone in the battle against terrorism and therefore, Indian media should play a responsible role while reporting militant attacks.

Delivering the keynote address at the seminar, Air Commodore (Retd) Jasjit Singh said 90 per cent of home-grown terrorists were in the 15-24 age group and “alienation of these segments will have to be addressed and resolved by channelizing their energies in a positive direction” to win the fight against terrorism.



AMU is a prestigious national institution of higher learning and could serve as a beacon of inspiration for younger generation of the country, Jasjit said.

Retired Commodore Chitrapu Uday Bhaskar also addressed the two-day seminar in the inaugural session presided over by the AMU’s Vice-Chancellor Lt General (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah.

‘India should strive to become key player in cyber world’ : Deputy Chief of Army (Retired) | idrw.org

 

[kurup]

India to guard its embassy in Tripoli

India has decided to deploy paramilitary to guard its embassy in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Saturday.

Shinde told mediapersons here that his ministry approved the external affairs ministry’s proposal to deploy an armed contingent at the Indian embassy in the north African country, which has seen civilian strife.

“The ministry of home affairs on Oct 17, gave in-principle approval to the proposal of the ministry of external affairs to deploy an armed contingent drawn from any of the CAPFs (central armed police forces) at the embassy and the embassy residence in Tripoli,” Shinde said.

India to guard its embassy in Tripoli


PS : A sticky thread for Indian Paramilitary and Central Police Forces would have been good.

 

[kurup]

India, Maldives holding joint military training exercises


The fourth joint military training exercises between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) - EKUVERIN 2012 - is being held in Belgaum from November 12 to 25.

A total of 45 personnel from the MNDF are taking part in the exercises along with the personnel from the Indian Army. The bilateral annual exercises, which commenced in 2009 in Belgaum, are alternately held in India and Maldives. The aim of the exercises is to enhance the close military cooperation between the two countries. Brigadier General Ahmed Nilam, Commandant – Marine Corps, MNDF would be reaching Belgaum later to observe EKUVERIN 2012, along with senior officers from the Indian side, according to a release by the External Affairs Ministry here.

Defence ties between India and Maldives have continued to expand and strengthen over the years. In April this year, both the countries, along with Sri Lanka, held joint Coast Guard/Naval exercises – DOSTI XI - off the coast of Male (Maldives) to strengthen the bonds of friendship and enhance mutual operational capability and cooperation in the region. Defence Minister A.K. Antony had also visited Maldives in September.

The Hindu : News / National : India, Maldives holding joint military training exercises

 

[kurup]

Bomdila's tales of war & bravery

BOMDILA ( Arunachal Pradesh): Perched at a height of 8,500 feet in the Himalayas, Bomdila, which saw the last Indian resistance during the 1962 Chinese aggression, still remembers the hard times the people had to face during the war. However, Arunachalis recall with pride how they helped Indian soldiers put up a fight against all odds. The stories of the war have almost become folktales, being handed down from one generation to another. For the Indian soldiers it was a two-pronged war: against the enemy and the hostile terrain and the biting cold.

As the war broke out in the autumn of 1962, Tawang fell to the invading Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) within a few days, and in Bomdila, then the headquarters of Kameng frontier division, there was sheer panic. But the people egged the soldiers on with their support and encouragement.

A retired army officer reminisced, "The war was all about the heroism of our jawans, who fought without appropriate clothes and rubber boots in the snow-clad mountains."

While the Indian military and political leadership failed, it was the jawans and young officers who carried forward the battle. Dorjee Khandu Thongdok, an Arunachali politician who wrote a book on the aggression, "War on Buddha", said it was weak planning on the part of the army that led to the defeat. No logistic support was given to the jawans. Neither was there coordination among officers, said Thongdok. "Ask any villager in Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila, Chaku and Rupa and they will talk about the brave soldiers who died defending the country," he said.

Jaswant Singh, Subedar Joginder Singh, Havildar Sucha Singh, Rifleman Kanshi Ram, Naik Chain Singh, Rifleman Bishan Singh, Major Gurdial Singh, Captain R D Rosario, and Hoshiar Singh are names etched in the minds of villagers. Almost every Arunachali has grown up listening to these tales of bravery.

Dorjee Tsering, a social worker from Dirang, who was a 13-year-old during the war, said, "Our jawans fought vigorously. I saw more Chinese soldiers dying in Dirang than Indians. We saw the Chinese burying their dead and later digging them out and carrying them away," he recalled.

Tsering said, "Indian jawans fared better when it came to direct confrontation. But our jawans died mostly while retreating. They were asked to withdraw because of a weak leadership," he felt.

He added, "Everyone now knows there will not be a repeat of 1962...but what we need is to build roads and other infrastructure for better supply of essentials to jawans and people living along the Indo-Chinese border."

Eighty-year-old Dorjee Glow of Singchung village joined the war and used his six mules to carry food and ammunition for the soldiers. As the Indian army's supply to its troops was very poor, and there was only one supply route from Assam, tribal villagers volunteered to help Indian soldiers.

He remembered how the jawans asked them to flee when they saw the troops advancing. "We hid in the jungles to escape the attack," he said.

Tsering Tashi, who was 18 then, said the jawans in Bomdila asked them to vacate the township as the Chinese could arrive any moment. "I was studying in Bomdila High School and our hostel warden asked us to flee to Assam. It was snowing. We walked for five days to reach Missamari in Assam and then boarded a train to Guwahati. I returned to Bomdila after three months," said Tashi.

Bomdila's tales of war & bravery - Times Of India

 

[kurup]

Territorial Army facing a severe shortage of officers


Much like the regular army, the Territorial Army (TA) a voluntary military force, is also facing a shortage of officers. According to the ministry of defence sources, TA, which has a requirement of close to 400 officers, is facing a shortage of about 40% of its sanctioned strength of officers.

The regular army has a shortage of about 10,972 officers. At present there are 36,790 officers serving in the army as against the sanctioned strength of 47,762 officers.

According to sources, unlike the regular army, which has over the years seen a decrease in young men joining the force, there has been no dearth in civilians volunteering to join TA.

“Close to 10,000 civilians apply for joining TA. Of them, a handful are called to appear before the Service Selection Board (SSB) and of them only about 10 or 15 pass and are commissioned as officers,” said sources.

“Though there is lot of enthusiasm among the volunteers only a few are able to make the cut due to the stringent requirement. The candidates volunteering to be TA officers should be employed with a government or private firm or should have their own business, apart from being graduates. Besides, their employers should give them no-objection certificates. They will also have to undergo two months of training every year. Hence, many candidates do not meet the requirements,” said a TA officer.

However, TA, which has strength of 40,000 first line troops in close to 70 battalions spread throughout the country, does not face a shortage in the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) level.

TA, which is also called the citizen’s army, consists mostly of civilians who are employed but have received military training and who are called upon to supplement the defence forces in times of emergency. Over the last few a years, celebrities like Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, former cricketer Kapil Dev, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and actor Mohanlal have been inducted into the TA as honorary lieutenant colonels.

Territorial Army facing a severe shortage of officers | idrw.org

 

[kurup]

Army celebrates Corps of Engineers Day

The Corps of Engineers, one of the oldest arms of the Indian Army and a major contributor towards development of national infrastructure, celebrated its 232nd Corps Day today.

The Corps consists of four pillars, namely Combat Engineers, Military Engineering Services, Border Road Organisation and Military Survey and also provides officers to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), a defence spokesman said here.

The entire Sapper fraternity in the tricity of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali celebrated the day and a wreath laying Ceremony was held to pay tribute to martyrs at Veer Smriti in Chandimandir cantonment near here.

Maj Gen Vishwambhar Singh, Chief Engineer Western Command and a number of serving and retired officers were present in the ceremony.

Army celebrates Corps of Engineers Day | idrw.org

 

[RPK]

Military upgrade: Mini UAVs sought for infantry units - Hindustan Times


Mini UAVs sought for infantry units

The Indian Army has outlined plans to beef up the reconnaissance capabilities of its infantry battalions with mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) small enough for soldiers to carry, deploy and recover.

A key component of the infantry modernisation plan is to equip more than 350


battalions with three mini UAVs each to help soldiers launch offensive and defensive operations, army sources said.
The US, British and Israeli armies have been relying on such small-sized surveillance systems for sometime now. Equipped with electronic sensors, man-portable UAVs are used for capturing and relaying images of the tactical battle area to improve the situational awareness of soldiers.

The army is looking at buying mini UAVs with an operating range of eight to 10 km and flight endurance exceeding three hours, the sources revealed.

Ramping up the infantry's surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with more than 1,000 mini UAVs could cost as much as Rs. 150 crore. That's not much of a price to keep soldiers out of harm's way, a senior officer said.

"Mini UAVs come with huge operational advantages as we can look deeper without sending out a patrol. Quicker flow of information will help commanders take more accurate decisions," said an infantry battalion commander, who did not wish to be named.

He said such systems would also offset the challenges posed by hard terrain conditions in forward areas. More than 120 infantry battalions are guarding our borders or involved in counter-terrorism operations in difficult areas.

The mini UAV project - one of the 80 modernisation schemes being given impetus by army chief General Bikram Singh - is expected to be implemented within the 12th Plan (2012-2017).

Mini UAVs are not confined to just military applications. These lightweight systems, which can be launched in 15 minutes, could be valuable for an army that is frequently called upon to provide humanitarian aid.

Display of arms by Punjab Regiment - The Times of India


Display of arms by Punjab Regiment

Ramgarh: The Punjab Regimental Centre (PRC), one of the oldest regiment of the Indian Army, has come up with a plan to motivate school children to join the army. For the students of Guru Nanak Public School, affiliated to Central Board of Secondary School Examination (CBSE), arms and ammunition used by army were on display.

Brigadier Anil Pandey, commandant of the Punjab Regimental Centre, said here that in the run up to the golden jubilee celebrations of Surya Command (Central Command, Lucknow), the Indian Army is taking steps to help in the all-round development of the students and also to motivate them to join the army and by doing so they would not only have a bright career but also serve the nation.

Shivam, a student of Guru Nanak Public School, who witnessed the display of arms and ammunition used by the army, said: "I was excited to see all sophisticated arms and ammunition in one place which was a unique thing to happen in my life as these arms and ammunition were used for the nation's security and the very thought made me proud."

The programme commenced with the conduct of a lecture by Major Saptarshi Gupta on 'importance of education towards a better society and the role of students of the society and nation as a whole.' The lecture was followed by a weapon display for the students.

The programme concluded with a friendly volleyball match between the students and young recruits of the army who are undergoing training.

 

[kurup]

50 yrs after war, road that troubled Army remains tricky as ever

During the 1962 war with China, the Indian Army had found itself handicapped by the absence of a proper motorable road up to these dizzy heights in the Eastern Himalayas. Volumes have been written about how bad whatever was called a road used to be. Hundreds of soldiers made it to the front on foot through the rugged mountains.

Fifty years later, the road to Tawang, and beyond to the international boundary, is still barely motor-able More than 250 km of the 329-km stretch from Tezpur to Tawang is being redone under a massive double-laning programme; this has only added to a travellers headache. The original target date for completion was December 2012 but December 2014 is now the “final” target.

“This is probably the worst highway in India. And being of such strategic importance, we wonder why the work has been so slow. Travel time from Tezpur to here, which was about 16 hours till say five years ago, can today take even up to 48 hours,” rued Jimisang Jebisow, president of the All Arunachal Pradesh Motor Transport Federation, an organisation of the owners of over 10,000 commercial vehicles.

This monsoon, the federation enforced a 24-hour chakka bandh on the highway. People even damaged a few vehicles belonging to the Border Roads Organisation that has been engaged in the double-laning.

“This road is the lifeline not just of the Army but also of the people of four districts. The tourism sector is also heavily dependent on this road,” said tour operator Tsering Wange, whose Himalayan Holidays brings the highest number of tourists to the state.

This zigzag road, which also crosses the 13,800-foot Sela Pass, gets between 300 and 400 vehicles on a weekday. This is in addition to three to four Army convoys per day, apart from over 100 trucks, dumpers, bulldozers and road-rollers working on the double-laning.

“We understand that the people are having a tough time. But we are also working against various odds to complete the double-laning as early as possible,” said Brig Rohit Kapoor, chief engineer of Project Vartak, the BRO wing responsible for roads in western Arunachal Pradesh.

The BRO is struggling with a shortage of boulders, labour and stone-crushers. “While we require about six lakh cubic metres of boulders per year, we are currently getting only about two lakh cubic metres,” Brig Kapoor said. In the absence of large stone-crushers, a major portion of work is being done manually.

“Acute shortage of labour is another problem. Earlier we used to get thousands of labourers from Jharkhand, Orissa and other states. But with various ongoing projects there, very few labourers are actually coming to this remote area,” Brig Kapoor said. Arunachal Pradesh being sparsely populated, there is very little availability of local labour.

Going by the requirement of 6,000 workers for each of the three Task Forces along the road, the BRO’s total requirement of labourers stands at around 18,000. “Currently we are hardly getting about 30 per cent,” Brig Kapoor said.

The weather often plays havoc, with six to months of rains in the lower reaches and two-three months of snowfall in the upper region, leaving hardly two or three months of actual working time. “Moreover, we cannot stop the traffic flow while carrying out the work. And with the Eastern Himalayas being relatively young and unstable, landslides often block the road for days,” the chief engineer added.

Another problem arises out of a wildlife sanctuary that the road touches between Bhalukpong and Tenga. Environment clearance for parts of the highway is still pending.

Chief Minister Nabam Tuki and Governor J J Singh have urged the Centre to expedite the road construction work. Tuki, who met the prime minister recently, also pressed for speeding up construction of an alternative road from Tawang to Guwahati through Bhutan.

50 yrs after war, road that troubled Army remains tricky as ever | idrw.org

 

[rockstarIN]