NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary panel has chided the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for ‘milking existing resources’ to raise a Mountain Strike Corps aimed at countering China on its Eastern theatre. The Standing Committee on Defence, that submitted its report in the Lok Sabha on the last day of Monsoon Session, also pulled up the MoD for a host of deficiencies, including the delay in the Light Combat Aircraft project, shortage of tanks, missiles and bullet-proof jackets among others.
“The Committee is constrained to note that the raising of Mountain Strike Corps was commended utilising War Wastage Reserves (WWR), which are war reserves and not to be touched otherwise,” its report said.
Keeping in mind the importance of the Mountain Strike Corps to counter the advance of neighbouring countries at high altitude area, the Committee had desired the MoD to do away with its ‘proclivity of ad-hoc’ planning and provide adequate budgetary support, commensurate with the requirement of the new formation, the Standing Committee added.