BY SUMIT KUMAR SINGH
New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS): The restructuring and reorganising the Indian Army Headquarters to make the functioning of the force more efficient has been stalled owing to Cabinet's approval for three posts, including a new Deputy Chief of Army Staff, due to bureaucratic hassles, sources in Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.
The Indian Army had sent a proposal to the Ministry of Defence for approval. The ministry, after approving it, further sent it to the Cabinet for clearance, but due to technical reasons it has not been approved and sent back to the ministry, sources said.
"The Army needs approval for three posts from Cabinet as these are joint secretary level and above posts," sources said.
As per the restructuring of Indian Army Headquarters, there is a proposal to create a new post of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategic Planning), apart from two existing Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information System and Training) and Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Planning and System).
As per the proposal, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategic Planning) would head Directorate of Military Intelligence, Directorate of Military Operation and newly created Information Warfare branch.
Further, there is a proposal to rechristen the post of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Planning and System) into Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Sustenance). As per the plan, the existing Planning and System wing and Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) would report to Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Sustenance).
Interestingly, two other new posts which need cabinet approvals are Additional Director General (ADG), Vigilance and Additional Director General (ADG), Human Rights Violations.
The vigilance branch would look into complaints of corruption and impropriety and will directly report to the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). As per the proposal, the Additional Director General (ADG), Vigilance will be a Major General rank officer. It will have three Colonel-level officers -- one each from the Army, Air Force and Navy -- to have a tri-service representation.
The Human Rights Violations branch headed by the Major General rank officer would directly report of Vice Chief of the Army Staff. As per the proposal it would be the nodal point to examine any human rights violation reports to ensure the best of investigative expertise, a police officer of SSP/SP rank would be taken on deputation.
The restructuring and reorganising of the Indian Army Headquarters was carried out to avoid multiplicity of branches and to create a single point of representation from Indian Army to the ministry.