New Delhi (Sputnik) — Newly appointed Indian Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat has expedited the process to build modern bunkers along the border shared with China. Sources say the Indian Army is using hollow block structures for building hundreds of bunkers in the area near Sikkim.
These bunkers can be easily transported to the Himalayan terrain after getting built in the plains of Assam and Sikkim. The step is an indication of India's keenness to raise a 90,000-strong Mountain Corps for strengthening the deployment along the 2,521-mile of Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
General Bipin Rawat #COAS visited Tezpur. Reviewed security situation and operational preparedness along Northern Borders and hinterland. pic.twitter.com/RVRz3cBtR1— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) January 24, 2017
Meanwhile, Gen. Rawat visited Tawang and other forward areas in Western Arunachal near the border with China r on January 24. Defense Ministry say Gen. Rawat was briefed by the Corps Commander on the situation, both from external threat and internal security point of view.
"Gen. Rawat has commanded a Corps in the Eastern Command and is well acquainted with the nuances of operational scenario there. He was satisfied with the operational preparedness of 4 Corps and encouraged all ranks to maintain their high state of alertness and professionalism," read a India’s Ministry of Defense statement.
On January 23, Gen. Rawat visited Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, in eastern Ladakh where India and Pakistan have fought intermittently since 1984.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.