The Cabinet Committee on Security which met under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh here on Thursday cleared the proposal in its meeting.
A separate dedicated force is to be created for the purpose. Around 1.3 million-strong Army is expected to raise the new Corps' headquarters at Panagarh in West Bengal along with two divisions in Bihar and Assam and other units from Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne were also present at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for providing any possible clarifications, if any, sought by the CCS members including Defence Minister A K Antony, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
The Indian Air Force will also deploy its force multiplier assets such as six each mid-air refuelling tankers and C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft at Panagarh.
The Army had sent the proposal in this regard in 2010 but it was returned by the Government asking the three Services to work together on plans to strengthen their capabilities in that region.
The Army will also get a number of new armoured and artillery divisions along with it to be deployed along the Northeast region.
The existing Strike Corps in the force include the 1, 2 and 21 Corps are all based close to the Pakistan border and are mainly armed to fight a land battle unlike the new Corps which will mainly focus on mountain warfare.
India to deploy additional forces on borders with China
ASHOK B SHARMA - 2013-07-17 15:00
New Delhi: In a way to reply to China’s aggressive postering at the border, India has decided to deploy 50,000 additional troops along the Line of Actual Control at an estimated cost of around Rs 65,000 crore.