Army brass reshuffle under Defence Ministry’s scanner

New Delhi, January 2: A major reshuffle of top Army brass—the first since General Deepak Kapoor took over as the Chief of Army Staff—has raised eyebrows at South Block with two prominent postings coming under the Defence Ministry scanner.

In the first case, the chief of the Northern Command, Lt Gen HS Panag, is being moved out from his post barely two weeks after he ordered administrative action against several officers, including a Major General, for ‘procedural lapses’ in the purchase of tents and related equipment.

The ‘tent scam’ took place when his predecessor—the current Army Chief—was heading the sensitive Northern Command. The Army has now proposed that just nine months before he is due to retire, Panag should be shifted to the Central Command to pave way for a new commander.

In the other case, within a month of a CBI inquiry being instituted, a change of command is taking place at the Directorate of Ceremonial, Welfare and Discipline (CWD) that was rocked by the Government passport racket in November.

The Army is moving in Lt Gen A K Lamba, an old hand who was the Additional Director General (Ceremonial and Welfare) when fake passports were sold to touts by a soldier working under him, to head the directorate. The incumbent, Lt Gen I J Koshy, is being shifted to a significantly higher position as the Director General Artillery.

While the two postings have caused concern within the civilian set-up of the Defence Ministry, the Army insists that there is nothing unusual about the reshuffle. “It is purely a routine move. Generals usually head a command for 12-14 months and the same case will apply to Panag also,” a top Army officer said, denying allegations that the reshuffle has taken place to scuttle a probe into the ‘tent scam’.

Panag is being replaced by P C Bhardawaj, who is currently heading the Leh-based 14 Corps. In a separate move, Lt Gen A K Singh, who is commanding the Army’s Strike Corps and is slated to take over as the next Army Chief, has been asked to take over as the Eastern Army Commander from Lt Gen J S Jamwal, who is due to retire soon.

The change of command at the Directorate of Ceremonial, Welfare and Discipline too is being attributed to regular administrative needs. “The Director General Artillery is due to retire and Lt Gen Koshy, being the senior-most artillery officer, has been moved there,” the Army officer said.

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