Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 29: In today's meeting with Defence authorities, the State Government has directed Army authorities to vacate land at various places but it has not taken any decision to provide land to Army for firing range. Army in Jammu and Kashmir has been facing shortage of firing ranges but State Government has so far failed to provide it land for the purpose.
Credible sources said that in today's meeting, Defence authorities took up the issue of providing land to the Army for the firing ranges but government failed to give any encouraging response to their demand.
"There is no positive response from the J&K government for identification of firing ranges which is still being carried out," defence sources told a news agency.
Sources said the troops, who daily have to undergo firing practice in view of their routine deployment along the Line of Control, are facing difficulties due to the shortage of firing ranges.
Five decade (50 years) lease period between the Army and the J&K Government regarding setting up of firing ranges in different parts has ended in November 2014, sources added. Cases of 10 Field Firing Ranges (FFR) are still pending with the Jammu and Kashmir Government, they said adding that, as the built up areas have come up near the field firing ranges, therefore keeping the safety zone in mind, lease period has not been extended further. Sources asserted that military skills and battle-conditioning of the soldiers is being adversely affected due to paucity of FFRs and added, no amount of substitutes like simulators and practice ammunition can replace live firing effects and experiences. J&K Govt is reluctant to extend the notification, they said adding that FFRs need to be re-notified from time to time by the state regime after clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment andForests. Overall situation may not be alarming in the state but the Army feels that if corrective action and preventive measures are not taken timely, it may become irretrievable in years to come, they maintained. Indian Army presently is left with just about 66 operational Field Firing Ranges (FFR) of 104 ranges it once had across the nation. |
