Centre prepares to name Dalbir as next Army chief

Published: 17:58 EDT, 12 May 2014 | Updated: 17:58 EDT, 12 May 2014

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Lt-General Dalbir Singh

In what could be the last key decision of the UPA II, the Centre is set to appoint Lt. Gen. Dalbir Singh as the next Army chief after the Election Commission gave its go ahead for the move on Monday.

After getting the EC's nod, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) recommended Army vice chief Lt.Gen. Dalbir Singh's name to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for the top post.

The defence ministry had earlier sought the EC's approval to ensure that the appointment would not violate the model code of conduct.

Dalbir Singh is slated to replace General Bikram Singh, who will retire on July 31. The BJP had opposed the appointment, claiming it was unethical for the outgoing government to take key decisions.

It also moved the Election Commission to restrain the government from announcing the appointment.

The BJP has expressed surprise over the "hurry" being shown by the government to appoint a new Army chief when around three months were still left for Gen. Bikram Singh to retire.

The EC said it had no objections and cited its March 27 order, which had clarified that defence appointments were not bound by the model code of conduct.

The poll panel said the government could go ahead with the process to appoint the next Army chief. It is now up to the ACC, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to take the call.

The process of selecting the new chief has been completed and only final approval is awaited.

Controversy has surrounded Dalbir Singh's choice as the next Army chief. He had faced a promotion ban imposed by former Army chief V.K. Singh. The ban was lifted when Bikram Singh took over as the Army chief, clearing the way for Dalbir Singh to become eastern Army commander. He was moved to New Delhi as vice chief, in a clear indication that the government was keen to elevate him.

A petition seeking action against him over an alleged fake encounter by a military intelligence unit under him as 3 corps commander in the northeast was dismissed recently by the Manipur High Court on technical grounds.

Army sources dubbed the case as motivated and questioned the timing of the petition. It also claimed that the alleged encounter had taken place when he was not even commanding 3 corps.

Dalbir Singh, who was commissioned into the Gorkha Rifles in 1974, will be one of the rare chiefs to have not been to the prestigious Defence Services Staff College, considered one of the pre-requisites for the top job.