Lieutenant General Hari Prasad took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the sensitive Udhampur-based Northern Command yesterday. Hari Prasad’s appointment as the Army commander comes at a crucial time as reports have come in about melting snow in the Pir Panjal passes — the traditional routes of infiltration by terrorists — ahead of the summer.While there have been reports of Islamabad curbing terrorist movement across the LoC, Hari Prasad will be concentrating on consolidating the gains of Operation Sarp Vinash near Surankote. He will also have to contend with a series of similar operations planned in other areas as well as review the functioning of the nascent uniform force set up in Riasi to battle terrorist influx. Hari Prasad replaces Lt Gen R.K. Nanavaty who retired yesterday.An alumnus of the King George’s School, Bangalore, National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun, Hari Prasad was commissioned in 1964 into the Maratha Light Infantry.
