NEW DELHI (PTI): Boosting the Indian Army's war fighting capabilities along the Line of Actual Control, government on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the creation of a corps including deployment of 50,000 additional troops along the China border at a cost of around Rs 65,000 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the proposal in its meeting, sources told PTI.
As part of the plans, the around 1.3 million-strong Army is expected to raise the new Corps' headquarters at Panagarh in West Bengal along with two divisions in Bihar and Assam and other units from Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne were also present at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for providing any possible clarifications, if any, sought by the CCS members including Defence Minister A K Antony, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
As per the plans, the IAF will also deploy its force multiplier assets such as six each mid-air refuelling tankers and C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft at Panagarh.
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