Army needs 4 lakh balaclavas, 2 lakh boots

Air Marshal PP Reddy, chief of Integrated Defence Staff, on Monday said India needs to be prepared for war on both fronts, China and Pakistan. But how equipped are our soldiers in high-altitude regions? With one of the worst winters in the pipeline, the Army is facing a shortage of items like high-ankle boots and balaclavas, lakhs of which still need to be procured. The 1962 conflict with China and the more recent Kargil War (1999) taught India never to vacate posts, even in high-altitude regions, forcing our soldiers to brave the winter chill.

The third report of the standing committee on defence 2014-15, submitted on December 22, 2014 points at glaring short comings.Member of Parliament from Belagavi and committee member Suresh Angadi told TOI: "This has been plaguing the Army for a while now. Even when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister, strict instructions were given by the government to procure all the necessary articles for soldiers but it has not happened. Even now, we've told officials to expedite the procurement process."

March 16 deadline: The report submitted by the committee headed by Major General (retd) BC Khanduri says there's a shortage of 2.17 lakh boots (high ankle), 4.47 lakh balaclavas and 65,978 durries (thick cotton quilts), all basic requirements in high-altitude areas.

Besides, there's a shortage of 13.09 lakh canvas shoes and mosquito nets.

The report quoting Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) Lt Gen Philip Cam pose on how the Army is managing the Mountain Strike Corps given the lack of equipment, says the Army is falling back on war wastage reserves.

"We have dipped into our War Wastage Reserve (WWR). So, we are holding War Wastage Reserves of all sorts of equipment, weapons, and stores. All this has r been taken out from the WWR and given to the new raisings," he told the committee. Of all the shortages, the ministry of defence has set a deadline of March 16, 2015 for procurement of durries, while boots, balaclavas and canvas shoes are being procured, or at some stage of clearance.