Gen Sekhon is new GOC of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps

Srinagar, Oct 22 (UNI) Lt Gen A S Sekhon will be the new General Officer-in-Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based XV Corps, replacing Lt Gen S S Dhillon who has been appointed as the Master General Ordnance at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

Hitherto Additional Director General, Perspective Planning at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi as a Major General, Gen Sekhon picked up his third star and has been sent to Srinagar as the Corps Commander of XV Corps, also known as Chinar Corps.

Gen Dhillon, who had taken over as the Corps Commander of XV Corps on June 17 last year, was commissioned in the Grenadiers Regiment in 1968 and has had an illustrious career spanning 38 years.

As MGO in Delhi, he will succeed Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma who also was his predecessor in Srinagar.

Graduating from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he attended the Senior and Higher Command Courses at the Army War College and is an alumni of National Defence College at New Delhi.

He took part in active operations during the 1971 war and held a number of prestigious command and staff appointments at various levels during his career.

As an Infantry Officer, Gen Dhillon was privileged to command an Independent Mechanised Brigade. After command of the Infantry Division in Baramulla, it was the unique honour to again come back to serve as Corps Commander at Srinagar.

He had served in the Army Headquarter in the Perspective Planning and Military Operations Directorates, been a Senior Instructor at Staff College, Wellington and was posted abroad as the Commandant of the Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan during the crucial counter ULFA operations in 2003.

Gen Dhillon is at present the Colonel of the Grenadiers Regiment and has been honoured with Ati Vishist Seva Medal and Vishist Seva Medal for his distinguished service and for the conduct of counter insurgency operations.

It was during his tenure that the massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck parts of Jammu and Kashmir on October 8 last year. Though suffering causalities of their own, the Army under his able guidance and zeal was quick to provide relief to all, saving many lives. Gen Dhillon has been the driving force behind the rehabilitation of many villages and a pioneer for Teethwal and Churunda model villages.

A total of 550 micro hydel projects have been commissioned under his command providing electricity to remote areas of the Valley.

The progress and vision among the youth in Kashmir has personally been monitored by the GOC in conjunction with the state government through a host of vocational training centres, computer centres, goodwill schools and orphanages being run by the Army.

''He has enjoyed an excellent rapport with all the people of the Valley. The XV Corps bids farewell to Gen Dhillon and wishes him good luck for his new tenure,'' a defence spokesman said.

UNI AG VD HS1452