Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 2: To strengthen its positions in strategically very significant Ladakh sector, which has borders with both Pakistan and China, the two hostile neighbours of India, Army is going to set up military base in Ladakh with adequate space for artillery firing practice after the State Government decided to give its land on reciprocal basis.
“A Division or a Brigade could come up in Leh in the form of military base under the command of 14 Corps, which is headquartered at Leh and it will go a long way in meeting various requirements of the Army including strengthening infrastructure and positions along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh and borders with Pakistan including Siachen Glacier,’’ official sources told the Excelsior.
The major requirement of the Army for setting up Artillery Firing Range in Ladakh for practice has been met with. Army will be shortly getting nearly 40,000 kanals of land at Mandal Thang near famous Chang Thang Point for artillery firing. The Point will be part of the military base.
Presently, Leh has an Army division at Nimo and Brigade at Karo, which comes under the command and control of 14 Corps headquartered at Leh. The new military base which will be spread over lakhs of kanals of land, will also come under the 14 Corps, sources said, adding the Army will be given land on reciprocal basis after it agreed to surrender some land, which it had been asked for by the State Government.
Sources said the process has been set into motion to give land to the Army for its use, which they had been demanding for the past quite some time especially for artillery firing in view of very strategic nature of Ladakh sector, which has LoC and LAC with both Pakistan and China apart from Siachen Glacier, located at the height of 18,845 feet from sea level, where soldiers are also fed all kind of supplies from Leh.
“Army already had lot of land under its occupation in Leh, some of which it has agreed to surrender to the Government as the administration wanted it for various purposes. However, the Army agreed to give up the land only after it was assured alternate land especially nearly 40,000 kanals at Mandal Thang for artillery firing to set up its full-fledged Artillery Firing Range.
“Vast portion of the land has been regularized in favour of the Army while some more was in the process of regularization,’’ sources said. Adding that, in turn, the Army will return some of land to the administration, which it had asked for.
The Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have been attaching great importance to Ladakh sector in view of fast growing friendship between Pakistan and China. There had been reports that China has been constructing some power projects apart from Karakoram Highway through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“It was in this context that Army has been engaged in not only developing infrastructure right up to the LAC with China but was also strengthening its military positions and training. However, at the same time, India and China have been engaged in building friendly ties by holding, for the first time joint military exercises in Ladakh and increasing number of the Border Meeting Points (BMPs), where frequent meetings are held between the two sides,’’ sources said.
Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs had given nod for raising and subsequent deployment of eight new battalions of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) along 4056 kilometers LAC that India shares with its neighbour in five States including Ladakh sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
In addition to eight new battalions, sources said, the Centre has also given its nod to provide equipments to the ITBP at par with the Army to strengthen the force and keep it always ready for any kind of situation developing along the LAC though it didn’t foresee any kind of hostilities developing along the LAC.
It may be mentioned here that the Centre has already assigned the study for construction of quarters and posts in treacherous mountains, where the ITBP has been deployed, to IIT-Roorkie,” sources said, adding the constructions would start after receipt of the report as the Government has sanctioned the amount.
India had recently conveyed to China that it was going to expedite construction of infrastructure along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh and that it shouldn’t try to disrupt it taking the excuse of un-demarcated boundary.
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