NEW DELHI: As the Army troops posted at the high-altitudes prepare to battle the freezing cold this winter, the Centre has decided to cut the supply of fuel to the units that keeps them warm.
At the behest of the Ministry of Defence, the Army Headquarters has reduced the total supply of kerosene to the troops posted at the high-altitudes and base camps by over 30 per cent.
The kerosene quota under the Fuel for Warming and Drying (FFWD) for the Army, which is supplied by the Army Service Corps, is not a luxury for the forward posts. It is used for cooking and also to run heaters that keep the soldiers warm.
The Army has over 1,000 forward posts in Jammu and Kashmir and 60 per cent of them get cut off from the rest of the world when it snows in winter.
Four mountain divisions of the Army, based at Leh, Kargil, Kupwara and Tenga (Assam), would be worst affected by this decision as most of their forward posts are over 15,000 m above the sea level, where the FFWD is the only shield against the chilling cold. The Army was allocated in the current Budget over `1,700 crore under the head of fuel, oil and lubrication.
Defending the move, the officials said the cut has been introduced based on an audit, which looked into the issue.
“After an audit, it was observed that supply of fuel for warming and drying can be cut, especially to the places, where there are power supply. But, we expect this will not affect the soldier manning the forward posts,” said an official.
They further argued that a power generation facility had come up in Kargil two years ago to cater to the requirements of the Armed Forces as well as the civilian population. But, uninterrupted power supply in the Valley is still a dream.
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated two hydro-power projects in Leh and Kargil in August, it would take some time for them to become fully operational.
“We hardly get on an average 8-10 hours of power supply. But, these power lines have reached to the base camps only. Most of the forward posts are still dependent on fuel,” said an official posted in the Valley.
Another soldier manning a forward post shared over phone that most of the allocated quota of fuel was consumed at the base camp level. “During winters, heaters are the only way to keep my post warm. With a limited quota of fuel, conditions will be difficult,” he said.
It is reported that as a result of the floods, this year’s winter would be exceptionally cold in the Valley.
The 13.3 lakh-strong Army had faced mobility issues after the previous UPA-II Government decided to cut the supply of fuel, oil and lubricants by 40 per cent, as part of its austerity measures. The official sources pointed out the UPA’s decision had adversely affected troops’ training sessions too.