Gen Pande in Ladakh, reviews troops' preparedess along LAC

New Delhi, May 12

Army Chief General Manoj Pande reached Leh today as part of his three-day visit to Ladakh. He carried out a review of military preparedness along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. This is his first visit to the region after assuming office as Army Chief on April 30.

Commanders briefed him at the headquarters of the Fire and Fury Corps in Leh about the situation in eastern Ladakh, a treeless cold desert, that shares the 832-km boundary (Line of Actual Control) with China. The militaries of both India and China have been locked in a stand-off since April 2020.

“The high level of operational readiness being maintained by the forces while maintaining a high tempo of capability development was highlighted,” the Army said in a statement.

General Pande, accompanied by Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, who heads the Northern Command, and Lieutenant General A Sengupta of the 14 Corps, called on Lieutenant Governer Radha Krishna Mathur.

“This was followed by a detailed discussion on issues related to civil-military cooperation and the Army’s role in developmental activities in Ladakh,” the Army said.

It said General Pande would visit forward areas in eastern Ladakh and interact with troops deployed along the LAC. The Fire and Fury Corps is responsible for guarding the LAC in Ladakh. Gen Pande’s visit to Ladakh came three days after he said China’s intention had been to keep “alive” the overall boundary question with India though it remains the “basic” issue between the two countries. (With PTI inputs)

1st visit as Army Chief

• This is General Manoj Pande’s first visit outside Delhi after taking over as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff on April 30.
• At the Fire and Fury Corps’ Leh headquarters, commanders briefed him on situation in eastern Ladakh.

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