Outgoing GOC Fire & Fury Corps calls on LG Saxena

LEH: Outgoing General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Fire and Fury Corps, Lieutenant General Hitesh Bhalla, on Saturday paid a farewell call on Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat in Leh ahead of his new assignment as Chief of Staff at the Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur.

During the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor appreciated Lt Gen Bhalla’s service and leadership in overseeing operational responsibilities in Ladakh and acknowledged his contribution to strengthening civil-military coordination in the Union Territory during his tenure.

In a post on social media, the Lieutenant Governor conveyed his best wishes to Lt Gen Bhalla for his forthcoming assignment at the Northern Command, one of the Indian Army’s principal operational commands responsible for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Lt Gen Bhalla will be succeeded as General Officer Commanding, 14 Corps, by Lt Gen Madanraj Pandey, who is being elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General before assuming command of the Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps.

Lt Gen Bhalla commanded the strategically important 14 Corps during a period when eastern Ladakh continued to remain a sensitive operational sector following the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). During his tenure, the Corps maintained operational preparedness while overseeing border infrastructure, logistics and coordination with civil authorities. He also undertook visits to forward locations and interacted regularly with troops deployed in high-altitude areas.

The Fire and Fury Corps is responsible for the defence of the eastern Ladakh sector along the Line of Actual Control with China and also oversees operations in the Siachen Glacier and Kargil sectors. The leadership transition comes as the Army continues to maintain operational vigilance and strengthen border management along India’s northern frontiers.