New Delhi: Three years after the Doklam stand off with China, the Ministry of Defence has been remarkably slow in creating and filling the crucial post of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), a report has said.
The post is supposed to provide ‘seamless coordination’ in handling larger operations, plans and logistics during major border crises.
The Times of India has reported that the need for this post was felt during the 73-day confrontation with China at its intersection with Sikkim and Bhutan in Doklam. The recent escalation of tensions with China in Ladakh has completed 100 days.
Sources were quoted in the report as having said that objections by the Finance Wing of the Ministry of Defence have “slowed down the approval process.”
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The Army has reportedly raised the issue with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and has conveyed to the minister that the proposal was ‘operationally required and revenue neutral’. It said there were no ‘financial implications’ since the post was created in place of another post of a Lieutenant General. The post of Director General of the Rashtriya Rifles has already been dispensed with.
As part of making the 13 lakh-strong Army a leaner, sharper, quickly-deployable and versatile force, several changes had been made to its structure. As many as three major generals, eight brigadiers, nine colonels and 186 lieutenant colonels and majors were shifted out of the headquarters and sent to operational areas.
The creation of the post was suggested as part of the overall restructuring of the Army Headquarters in 2018. The suggestion had come in one of the four studies that were undertaken to create a more modern force.
On the importance of this post of DCOAS(S), it was pointed out that it would oversee and coordinate the working of five DGs – namely those of military operations, military intelligence, operational logistics, perspective planning and information warfare – at the Army headquarters, the report said.
The post was created as it was felt that DCOAS(S) would be able to provide greater synergy in operations, planning and logistics during the time of a border crisis. The appointment would also have done away with the need for creating an ‘ad hoc steering committee’ every time a crisis arose.
During Doklam crisis the armies of India and China had moved forward their additional forces. In Ladakh too while the disengagement process is on, several reports say that China is yet to move back its soldiers in Pangong Tso and Gogra. It has also not reduced its build-up in the Depsang plains, the TOI report said.