India to raise 30,000 troops for border with China

New Delhi: Working towards upgrading its military infrastructure along border with China, India will raise another 30,000 troops for the infantry battalions of its Army, Rajya Sabha was told on Wednesday. "30 infantry battalions are proposed to be raised in the 13th Five year Plan towards enhancing combat capacity," Defence Minister A K Antony said in reply to a written query. The Indian Army is planning to raise a Strike Corps for deployment along the China border which would mean raising of additional 90,000 troops for the force.

The Army has plans of raising the additional troops in the 12th and the 13th five-year defence plan periods. The Corps is proposed to be headquartered at Panagarh in West Bengal with its formations spread around north-eastern states sharing boundaries with China. The Defence Minister further said the mobility of infantry battalions is proposed to be enhanced through introduction of superior vehicles with better cross-country mobility. The budgetary allocation for capital acquisition for modernisation of Army during Financial Year 2012-2013 is Rs 13,724.14 crore, he said. PTI