Army Chief General Bikram Singh on Wednesday carried out a comprehensive review of the raising of the new strike force for the northern sectors.
Gen Singh, who was in Kolkata-headquartered Eastern Command, was briefed on the raising of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps, which began on January 1 in Ranchi, its operational preparedness, and the security situation and progress of infrastructure development in the eastern theatre.
The Army Chief reiterated that the eastern theatre would be given due importance, including requisite thrust on development of infrastructure to support troops deployed in the challenging and hostile terrain of the region. General Singh was also briefed on the internal security situation in the North-Eastern states.
Addressing the officers, he put emphasis on the need to uphold the core values of the Army and urged them to strengthen the work culture hinging on professional ethos. He also stressed on the importance of taking care of the requirements of the ex-servicemen and widows of fallen soldiers.
The Cabinet Committee on Security had approved raising the 17 Corps, with an allocation of nearly `65,000 crore in July 2013. The money is to be spent over a seven-year period through the 12th and 13th Five Year Plan periods.