Lucknow: The Central Command plans to start a
centre for training in jungle warfare in Chhattisgarh and is
awaiting clearance from the ministry of defence for the
purpose, a top officer said on Friday.
"As there had been a shortage of training centres for our
jawans, we made an appeal to different states and Chhattisgarh
government was the first to provide us the space in Narainpur
range," said General Officer, Commanding-In-Chief (GOC-in-C),
Central command, Lt Gen VK Ahluwalia.
He, however, added that work would begin only after it
got clearance from the central and state governments.
The GOC was interacting with newspersons on the occasion
of the 48th Raising Day celebrations of the Central Command.
While clarifying that the centre would only impart
training and would not participate in anti-naxal operation,
the GOC said that guidelines would be required for legal
protection before starting this centre.
To a question whether there had been any report of
misuse of army land in the Central Command, the GOC said that
though there had been no major complaint, reports kept pouring
in of people trying to encroach land from different areas.
"Saving army land from encroachment is a major issue,"
he agreed, naming two areas in the state capital, one in
trans-Gomti area and the other near Arjunganj firing
range where there were "some problems."
"Some people are trying to make constructions behind
the Arjunganj firing range, which is a notified area, besides
there is also a dispute over 193 acres of land in the
trans-gomti area," he said, adding that efforts were on to
tackle the problem of encroachment.
PTI
