Chinese carrying out capability enhancement near LAC, says Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen RP Kalita

Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 16 : The Chinese army is carrying out capability enhancement in terms of infrastructure, and operational capability close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in a large measure, said General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command Lt Gen RP Kalita on Monday.
Briefing mediapersons here, Lt Gen Kalita said, "We talk about border villages created close to LAC which has got dual-use possibility. If we put together everything, it would suffice to say that PLA is carrying out capability enhancement whether in infrastructure, or operational capability in a large measure."
He emphasized that India is acting towards enhancing infrastructure and operational capabilities in order to respond to any emergent situation.
"All our agencies, including armed forces, are continuously monitoring this situation. We are also upgrading our own capabilities whether in terms of infrastructure or in terms of operational capabilities. If we talk about the LAC in the eastern theatre, across the LAC in Tibet there has been a lot of development in the infrastructure which is taking place. We all keep hearing about it," Lt Gen stated.
"The other side is constructing and upgrading their roads and tracks and connectivity. New airports and helipads are being constructed. Activities being undertaken to improve infrastructure so that they are in better position to respond to any emergent situation," he added.
The military standoff with China has been going on for over two years now when the Chinese side attempted to change the status quo unilaterally by moving troops in large numbers against Indian positions.
In view of the Chinese threat, the Indian Army has shifted six Divisions that were earlier deployed in counter-terrorism roles and after taking care of the Pakistan front. The Indian Army has been doing rebalancing and realignment of its forces which were earlier more prepared for the Pakistan threat than the challenges faced from the Northern borders.
Senior government sources told ANI that after this rebalancing and realignment exercise was done over the last two years, two divisions (around 35,000 troops) have been feeding up from counter-terrorism roles for looking after the China border deployment.
One division from Rashtriya Rifles was taken out from counter-terrorism roles from Jammu and Kashmir and has now been deployed in the Eastern Ladakh sector and would be there along with the 3 Division already based there, they said.
Likewise, an Assam-based Division under the Tezpur-based Gajaraj Corps has been pulled out of its counter-insurgency role from the state and now its mandate is to look after the China border in the northeast, they said.
The 17 Mountain Strike Corps which earlier had tasks in the Ladakh sector also has now been confined to the Northeast only and has been given one more Division based out of Jharkhand. The division earlier was tasked to carry out strike operations along the Western front.
Two Army Divisions located in Uttar Pradesh have also now been assigned to the Northern Command for Ladakh theatre. The two formations were earlier tasked to fight on the Western front in case of a war, they said.
Similarly, a Uttarakhand-based Division of a Strike Corps has been reassigned to the Central Command to look after the entire Central sector where the Chinese have been attempting transgressions on multiple occasions, they said.
Sources said that the rebalancing has resulted in the deployment of two of the four Strike Corps in the Army with offensive elements on the China border whereas prior to April-May, 2022, three of them looked after Pakistan prominently, they said.
The heavy deployment by India has also sent across a message to the Chinese military that any misadventure to attempt altering the status quo on the LAC would not be possible, they said.
After the Chinese Army deployed on the Indian borders in heavy numbers, India also rushed in troops in the same manner and sent around 50,000 troops there.