GREATER
ROLE FOR TA STRESSED
DEFENCE MINISTRY CONSULTATIVE
COMMITTEE MEETS
The Defence Minister Shri George
Fernandes has underlined the need for expansion of the Territorial
Army (TA), in view of its increasing role in assistance to civil
administration and maintenance of essential services. He was addressing
the meeting of the Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry
in New Delhi today.
The Defence Minister said that the
report of the KP Singh Deo Committee on TA and the recommendations
of the Group of Ministers have to be considered and implemented.
This would make the TA a visible platform for disciplined and
trained citizens from all walks of life to support the regular
Army he said. The strength of the TA has been recommended to be
80,000-100,000 by the year 2007 by the KP Singh Deo Committee.
The present authorised strength is 40,085.
Shri Fernandes informed the members
that the Government has also accepted the provision of 20 per
cent reserve of TA officers to remove the deficiency of Company
Commanders in Infantry Battalions (TA) doing embodiment for operational
purposes.
Shri Fernandes accepted the suggestions
made by some members of Parliament to include women in non-departmental
as well as departmental units of TA initially in the officers'
rank and later in the lower ranks. At present women are serving
only in the General Hospital and Signal Regiments of the TA. He
said that the suggestion of compulsory inclusion of Government
employees in the TA should be explored and the private sector
should also be involved, keeping in view the terrorist activities
and danger to strategic enterprises the Defence Minister said.
Shri Fernandes suggested that the TA and Ex-Servicemen could also
play a major role in the proposed 'Trans-Himalayan Development
Authority'.
The TA which is commonly known as
the Citizens' Army is composed of 31 Infantry Battalions and 19
Departmental TA Units such as Railway Engineer Regiments, Oil
Sector, Ecological, Signals and General Hospitals Units. The TA,
which carries out operational tasks, internal security duties
and aid to civil authorities in support of the regular Army, has
played a commendable role.
The TA units have also been embodied
for the ongoing 'Operation Parakram' and deployed with various
defence units, including protection of essential service and Oil
and Natural Gas installations in Gujarat.
The meeting was attended by MPs Capt
Inder Singh, Dr. C. Krishnan, Shri Mansoor Ali Khan from Lok Sabha
and Shri TN Chaturvedi, Shri Balvant P Apte and Shri Swaraj Kaushal
from Rajya Sabha.
Shri UV Krishnam Raju, Minister of
State for Defence, Shri Harin Pathak, Minister of State for Defence
Production & Supplies, Shri Yogendra Narain, Defence Secretary,
Shri Subir Dutta, Secretary (Defence Production & Supplies)
and other senior civil and military officials were also present
in the meeting.
