Army wants more top rank teeth

Asks govt to add two more Lt. Gen's 
Move could influence the appointment of Gurung's successor 


KATHMANDU, AUG 02 - The Nepal Army has put forward an institutional restructuring proposal and has asked the government to “strengthen its top ranks” by creating two additional posts of Lieutenant Generals.

A delegation of senior army officials led by Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Chhatra Man Singh Gurung on Sunday presented the proposal to Defence Minister Bidhya Bhandari and Defence Secretary Nabin Kumar Ghimire. Insiders in the Army maintain that endorsement of such a proposal could influence the appointment of Gen. Gurung’s successor.


 The Army chief is completing his three-year term on Sept. 9, 2012.“The creation of additional posts will put Maj, Gen. Gaurab Samsher Rana and Maj. Gen. Nepal Bhusan Chand in the race for the Army’s top post,” a senior Army official told the Post.

Under the new arrangement, the post will go to Chand if Rana, after his promotion to the post of Lt. Gen., fails to get one year term extension, he said.

Under the existing provision, Rana, Director General of Military Operation (DGMO), will be elevated to Lt. Gen. in April next year after the retirement of Chief of General Staff Pawan Jung Thapa. Adjutant Gen. Chand will get promotion only a month after Chief of Staff Gen. Toran Jung Bahadur Singh retires.

 If Rana stays put as Lt. Gen. for a year even after completing a two-year term, he will then be the Army chief and Chand will be his deputy. “The meeting was just a briefing by the Army,” said a Defence Ministry official. “The government will have to discuss the issue with other stakeholders, including line ministries and agencies.”


During Sunday’s meeting, the senior Army officials argued that the restructuring of top ranks was necessary to transform the institution into international standard and create senior ranks parallel to the civil service.
Of the two additional Lt Gen posts, one can be adjusted from Raaj Prasad Sewa and another from “core group” that is not in existence yet, even though the plan to form it was made a decade ago. They suggested that the four Lt. Gens. should head four departments of the Army.
Maj. Gens. Anil Jung Thapa, Ram Bahadur Gurung, Daman Ghale and BA Kumar Sharma had attended the briefing. Citing the rank structure of of Indian, British and Pakistani armies, the generals maintained that additional posts of major general and brigadier general should be created.