Finance nod for J-K Corps HQ

The Finance Ministry has okayed the Defence Ministry demand for creation of another Army corps headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir but has hel...

The Finance Ministry has okayed the Defence Ministry demand for creation of another Army corps headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir but has held back the green signal for creation of a new North-West Army Command.

Sources said the new corps will be created by bifurcating Nagrota-based 16 Corps, presently looking after the stretch from Pathankot in Punjab to Poonch in Pir Panjal.

The Nagrota Corps has nine divisions under its command, including three sectors of Rashtriya Rifles and two reserve divisions.

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While the Ministry has sought clarification on the financial aspect of the North-West Army Command, the Defence Ministry is in the process of getting back to North Block on the need for a new command for better coordination of counter-insurgency operations and defence of the border.

The basic Army proposal was to upgrade the Nagrota corps to a command level and create a new corps headquarters at Pathankot for handling the international border (IB), particularly the vulnerable Chicken’s Neck area and at Rajouri for the defence of the LoC south of Pir Panjal.

This was being proposed because the 16 Corps was facing administrative and coordination problems of handling counter-insurgency and defence of both IB and LoC.

With the Finance Ministry not clearing the new North-West Command, the Army is in a fix because it will have no option but to locate the new corps at Pathankot with Nagrota looking after the LoC.