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J&K a major problem: Padmanabhan

New Army chief General S Padmanabhan Saturday justified the army's action against junior level officers and other soldiers in connection with the Kargil fiasco, while admitting that Jammu & Kashmir presents a "major problem".

He hinted that the Army will go in for increased intake of officers and look leaner at least in some branches.

While talking about visionary steps of preparing the Indian Army for a nuclear war, the general admitted that Kashmir remains its first preoccupation.

Refusing to take sides on the contentious issue of court of inquiries against junior level officers and other soldiers and action against Brigadier Surinder Singh, Padmanabhan said, "I don't believe the army will act unfairly to anyone."

"I have been in the army for 41 years. In my little service, I have not seen it act unfairly. I don't believe that the army will act unfairly to anyone," he said.

"I have no intention of taking sides," he added, refusing to be drawn into the controversy, while hinting that action initiated during General V P Malik's tenure will continue till their logical conclusion.

He said his first official visit will be to the Kashmir valley and added that "the problem is apparent, that is why I am going first to the valley".

"Maximum number of our men are involved there. We are facing major problems there. I will acquaint myself with the ground situation, see how my boys are doing and see what can be done to improve their condition," he said.

"There are people who have decided to fight till the last drop of Kashmir blood. If they were alone, we would have thrashed them. So now they are using Kashmiris as mercenaries. We are engaged in the fight and we shall prevail," he asserted.

He said the shortage of officers developed over the years and that the training capacity of various army institutes has been enlarged to increase the intake of trainees. In few years, the intake of "gentlemen and women" to army would increase.

On information technology in army, he said that a road map had been prepared and "we have covered some milestones". And in the next few years, he said the Army Institute of Information Technology will come up in Hyderabad.

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