Army Chief declines to comment on age row

May 02, 2011 |

New Delhi

Army Chief General V.K. Singh, who is in the thick of controversy over his date of birth, on Sunday refused to comment on it saying his remarks on personal issues would not be good for the force. “I don’t want to comment on personal matters. It is not good for the Army,” Gen. Singh said on the sidelines of a seminar here.
“Media itself is bringing out the facts as to who is behind this, so I don’t want to give my personal comments,” he said.
The controversy over the Army Chief’s age broke out after the law ministry recently gave an opinion that his date of birth was May 10, 1951 as shown in his matriculation certificate and not May 10, 1950 as filled in his UPSC form for the entrance exam of NDA.
The Army had sought the law ministry’s opinion to determine its chief’s age while replying to an RTI application as different dates were mentioned in the records of the Adjutant General (AG) and Military Secretary (MS) branches.
The AG branch — the official record keeper for salary and pension — has been following May 10, 1951 as Gen. Singh’s date of birth, the MS branch, which looks after promotions and postings, shows it as May 10, 1950.
***
Singh moots defence plan panel
New Delhi, May 1: Army Chief General V.K. Singh on Sunday advocated setting up of a defence planning commission on the lines of the Planning Commission for a more effective financing system for modernisation of defence forces.
“There is need for a defence planning commission...I feel our defence budget is not a plan. I don’t mean to say people are not planning for it. All I mean to say it is not like the Planning Commission,” Gen. Singh said.
“Whenever the Planning Commission plans something, money has to be spent on it. It cannot be taken out,” he said.
“Defence budget is given to forces by the defence ministry. There are other projects in deficit financing with the Government of India. So, when they feel the requirement for a particular project is not getting financed, brakes are applied on your schemes for modernisation and ultimately this money is taken out as the financial year comes to a close,” he said. —PTI

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