Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes has underlined the need for expansion of the Territorial Army (TA) in view of its increasing role in assistance to civil administration and maintenance of essential services. He was addressing the meeting of the Consultative Committee attached to his ministry in New Delhi.

The Defence Minister said that the report of the KP Singh Deo Committee on TA and the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) have to be considered and implemented. This would make the TA a visible platform for disciplined and trained citizens from all walks of life to support the regular Army, he added. The strength of the TA has been recommended to be 80,000-100,000 by the year 2007 by the KP Singh Deo Committee. The present authorised strength is 40,085.

Mr Fernandes informed the members that the Government has also accepted the provision of 20 per cent reserve of TA officers to remove the deficiency of Company Commanders in Infantry Battalions (TA).

Mr Fernandes accepted the suggestions made by some members of Parliament to include women in non-departmental as well as departmental units of TA, initially in the officers rank and, later, in the lower ranks. At present, women are serving only in the General Hospital and Signal Regiments of the TA. He said that the suggestion of compulsory inclusion of government employees in the TA should be explored and the private sector should also be involved, keeping in view the terrorist activities and danger to strategic enterprises.
Mr Fernandes suggested that the TA and ex-servicemen could also play a major role in the proposed ‘Trans-Himalayan Development Authority’.

Also known as Citizens’ Army, TA is composed of 31 Infantry Battalions and 19 Departmental TA Units such as Railway Engineer Regiments, Oil Sector and Ecological, Signals and General Hospitals Units. The TA which carries out operational tasks, internal security duties and aid to civil authorities in support of the regular Army, has been playing a commendable role.

The TA units have also been embodied for the ongoing operation Parakram and deployed with various defence units including protection of essential service and oil and natural gas installations in Gujarat.

The meeting was attended by
Capt Inder Singh, Dr C Krishnan and Mr Mansoor Ali Khan from Lok Sabha and Mr TN Chaturvedi, Mr Balvant P Apte and Mr Swaraj Kaushal from Rajya Sabha.

Mr UV Krishnam Raju, Minister of State for Defence, Mr Harin Pathak, Minister of State for Defence Production and Supplies, Mr Yogendra Narain, Defence Secretary, Mr Subir Dutta, Secretary (Defence Production & Supplies) and other senior civil and military officials were also present at the meeting.