New Delhi, May 31: Government last night cleared the appointment of Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra as Western Army Commander but promotion of 3 Corps Commander Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag as the head of Eastern Command remained stuck as it has been put on hold by outgoing army chief Gen V K Singh.
Defence Ministry officials said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has also approved the appointment of 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain as the new Military Secretary to replace Chachra.
The Defence Ministry had recommended the names of Suhag and Chachra together for heading the Eastern and Western Commands respectively but after the former was issued a show cause notice for a failed intelligence operation in Assam, he was put under a Discipline and Vigilance ban and his promotion is held up.
This would mean that the Kolkata-based Eastern Command, guarding the sensitive boundary along with China, will remain headless for some time as the present Commander Lt Gen Bikram Singh tomorrow moves here to take over as the new Army Chief.
However, as the seniormost Corps Commander under the Eastern Command, Suhag will be holding some of the important responsibilities there.
A number of important Corps, including the Yol Cantt-based 9 Corps, are without heads for some time.
