Kathmandu, April. 29:
Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Chhatra Man Singh Gurung Sunday floated a proposal about restructuring the Nepal Army.
Gurung briefed about the NA restructuring proposal at the meeting of the State Affair Committee under the Legislature Parliament.
Briefing the synopsis of the proposal in the meeting, Gurung claimed that the existing structure of Nepal Army could not work properly in the new federal republic state.
He proposed to add the posts of high ranking army officials starting from lieutenants to major generals.
According to his proposal, NA was seeking four lieutenant generals in place of two and 24 major generals in place of 18. Likewise, he proposed to increase the number of brigadier generals to 80 from existing 70, colonels to 147 from 133 and lieutenant colonels to 400 from 388.
CoAS Gurung informed that NA has strength of 92,753 personnel in total and it has approved posts for 95,753
.He proposed to add the high level officer posts without increasing the existing strength of NA.
According to him, NA had only 18,000 personnel in 1965.
"Now the old structure of NA cannot work, it needs timely reforms," he said.
Gurung told at the meeting that a10-year master plan was in implementation phase for strengthening the NA.
He also informed that NA needs RS. 1.18 trillion to implement the 10-year master plan.
His proposal was in line with the NA restructuring panel report of a year back
At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadhar pointed out the need of restructuring the NA.
He said that the processes for the relevant reform of the NA were underway.
"The Ministry has started a positive initiative to make the NA a more capable, transparent and professional organization" he said.
Defense Secretary Madhav Prasad Regmi said the NA was facing lack of physical infrastructure and called for making it more competent by developing the needed infrastructure.
Colonel Raghu Bhandari said the NA was founded in 1816 B.S and got recognition of national army in 2009 B.S.
The NA’s proposal would be submitted to the Committee within two days in written.
After the meeting, committee chairman Ram Nath Dhakal said the committee would reach in conclusion about the proposal in another meeting.
