There is still no evidence of any personal wrong-doing by Kapoor but there is a visible case of impropriety, say sources in the northern command.
NEW DELHI: In a move that has defence circles abuzz, the chief of the northern army command, in-charge of the entire Kashmir operations, is being abruptly transferred out after he began investigating purchases sanctioned under special powers by his predecessor who happens to be the present army chief.
Defence ministry sources said the army recommendation for the transfer of Lieutenant General HS Panag from March 1 to Lucknow, to head the central command, is pending with the government.
Panag has been pursuing various corruption cases in the cash-rich northern command, including the purchase of tents sanctioned under special powers by Army chief General Deepak Kapoor when he was the northern command chief.
A Major General was served show-cause notice in the investigations under way in Udhampur. There is still no evidence of any personal wrong-doing by Kapoor but there is a visible case of impropriety, say sources in the northern command.
Panag has been out to end malpractices in the northern command ever since he took over. One of his recent investigations unravelled a scam in the purchase of eggs for soldiers.
The minimum weight of eggs is mandated to be 48 grams, but for years officers signed contracts with 40 grams as the minimum weight. Several officers are still under investigation in the egg scam.
According to sources, Panag began investigating the tent purchases after the northern command stumbled upon over-purchase of the costly item. Transparency in these costly acquisitions where the commanders enjoy financial freedom is “also a must”, says a civilian official in the ministry.
It may be just coincidence that Panag’s transfer has been recommended when the investigation into the tent purchase was gathering steam. Panag is believed to have protested to the army headquarters and has sought an appointment with Defence minister AK Antony.
The northern command handles both Kashmir counter-insurgency operations and the entire border down from Siachen to Jammu. Panag replaced Kapoor as northern command chief on January 1, 2007. Kapoor moved to army headquarters in Delhi as vice chief of the army staff and later took over as chief of the army staff.
By February-end, two army commanders are retiring and they would have been replaced by two Lt Generals who are presently corps commanders. However, army headquarters has proposed to replace Panag with the Lt Gen who is presently commanding the 14 Corps in Leh. Panag is to move to the central command, based in Lucknow.
An Army officer dealing with the media defended the transfer saying it was “routine”. He said there was nothing “unusual” and that Panag has spent a year in Udhampur. But two years is the normal tenure. In Panag’s case, he is to retire in December 2008, when he would have actually completed two years as the northern army commander.
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