NEW DELHI:  Briefing Parliament on the current situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday stated that even as the government was engaged in efforts to de-escalate the tensions, the country was fully geared up to face any contingency and the military has done all preparations along the LAC to counter Chinese attempts.

Detailing the military and logistical preparations along the LAC, a senior Army officer said stockpiling for the winter season had been completed and the troops were prepared for a long campaign if the Chinese makes any further attempt at incursion.

“We have stocked ammunition, ration and fuel at various echelons with 15 days’ extra stocking with those troops that are right at the front and another seven days’ extra stocking with those formations that are right behind them,” the officer said.

The Army has planned the whole supply line in such a manner that once a truck moves out for stocks, it will reach back to its original location within 24 hours, informed the officer.

As for the living arrangements, he said temporary shelters with insulation and proper heating arrangements have been built for every soldier under deployment.

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The Air Force has deployed its strategic lift transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster and the Ilyushin-76 Gajraj along with the medium-lift tactical aircraft Antonov-32 and the Chinook helicopters.

An officer said the entire logistics is “so well-oiled that in case of a requirement, we can move the entire Division level military formation and equipment”.  

Deep suspicion

The unilateral movement by the PLA in Ladakh has created a deep-rooted suspicion that will affect the entire LAC, military experts said.

“The deployment pattern will change not just in eastern Ladakh but will be seen all across the LAC for at least two years,” said Lt-Gen (retd.) D S Hooda. The PLA, which earlier kept its troops much deeper, will also position them closer to the LAC, he said. Major General (retd) D K Mehta said even while the Ladakh stand-off continued, China in June claimed 3,300 sq km of the Bhutanese territory.

This will allow China to move its troops closer, which will force India to maintain troops along the LAC in the coming days, he said.

‘Fake news triggered exodus of migrants’ 

The migration of a large number of migrants during the lockdown was triggered by panic created by fake news about its duration, the centre told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.  

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated this in the parliament while replying to an unstarred question from TMC MP Mala Roy, who sought the reason why thousands of labourers started walking home from big cities as  as the lockdown was imposed. In response, Rai said: “The exodus was triggered by panic created by fake news regarding the duration of lockdown.”

Jaya slams BJP MP over drugs remarks  

Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan on Tuesday hit out at BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan’s comments about drug addiction in Bollywood, saying one can’t tarnish the entire industry because of a few people. Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Upper House, she said the government must offer protection to the film industry and not kill it.

“Just because of a few people, you can’t tarnish the imageof the industry. I was embarrassed and ashamed that one of our members in the Lok Sabha, who is from the industry, spoke against the film industry,” she said.