Top commanders of the Army will extensively deliberate on the border row with China in eastern Ladakh as well as on a slew of long-pending reform measures like cutting down on ceremonial practices and non-military activities to ensure a rational distribution of resources, at a four-day conference beginning October 26, official sources said.
Besides reviewing the security challenges facing the nation, the Army commanders will attempt to finalise various reform measures recommended by separate internal committees in utilisation of resources while at the same time focusing on enhancing operational capability of the 1.3-million strong force, they said.
The conference will be chaired by Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane and all top commanders will attend it, the sources said.
Some of the proposals to be on the table at the conference include discontinuing or at least bringing down the scale of the Army Day and Territorial Army Day parades, cutting down on various ceremonial practices and reducing the number of officers’ mess within individual peace stations, the sources said.
Similarly, the top Army brass will also examine a proposal to bring down the number of guards at official residences of senior officials and another one on reducing the number of CSD canteens if several such facilities are operating within one station, they said. Another proposal on the table for discussion would be to ask various units to cut costs on celebrating Raising Day and Battle Honour Day.