The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ASC Centre to have Animal Transport Memorial soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 07, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

ASC Centre to have Animal Transport Memorial soon

Staff Reporter

To celebrate 245th anniversary and 8th reunion today

CEREMONIAL WELCOME: Lt. Gen. S.K. Sahni, Director General of Supplies and Transport, Army Headquarters, receiving the guard of honour in Bangalore on Tuesday.

BANGALORE: The Indian Army will soon establish an Animal Transport Memorial on the premises of the Army Service Corps (ASC) Centre and College here.

Addressing presspersons here on the eve of 245th anniversary and 8th reunion of the ASC, Lt. Gen. S.K. Sahni, Director General of Supplies and Transport, Army Headquarters, said that it will be established in memory of the mules that had served the armed forces.

This memorial, he said, will be the first of its kind in Asia. It will also be the first in the world to be set up in memory of mules.

The U.K. Army has established a similar one in memory of the animals that had served it, he added.

Postponed

Lt. Gen. Sahni said that a function to inaugurate the memorial on Wednesday when the ASC celebrates its 245th anniversary had to be postponed because of the recent rain. "The rain disrupted the work on the memorial," he added.

Models of the memorial have been prepared. "It will be built in a few months," Lt. Gen. Sahni said.

He lauded the ASC personnel for their support to the fighting forces.

Heavy vehicles such as "refrigerator lorry" and "mobile kitchen lorry" developed by the ASC Centre help in transportation of food items, including milk and meat, and in preparing food when an army unit is on the move.

"The Indian Army will increase the number of such vehicles," he added.

Appreciation

He said the work of ASC personnel as observers has received appreciation from the United Nations.

A unit of the ASC is with the UN mission in Sudan and at the Golan Heights.

Earlier, Lt. Gen. Sahni received the guard of honour.

He held a meeting with ASC officers.

Training

The centre and college is going ahead with training personnel in handling computers to facilitate successful implementation of the project automation of the Indian Army, Lt. Gen. S.K. Dahiya, Commandant of the centre and college, said.

He told presspersons that the personnel handling clerical work will be trained in using computers. "This training is aimed at making the Indian Army a paper-less organisation." He said the ASC officers, who have been trained by Corps of Signals, will train the personnel.

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