Srinagar:Lieutenant General Prashant Srivastava on Saturday took reins of Army’s Srinagar based strategic Chinar Corps from Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Srinagar based defence spokesman said.
Lt Gen Ghai remained at the helm of Chinar Corps- also called as 15 Corps- for the last 16 months.
On assumption of command, Lt Gen Srivastava paid obeisance at the Chinar War Memorial at Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar, honouring the sacrifices of the bravehearts for the Nation, the spokesman said.
A battle hardened soldier, Lt Gen Srivastava, during his 34 years of illustrious military career, has held numerous prestigious command and staff appointments.
The General Officer possesses extensive operational experience in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations having served in both Jammu and Kashmir as well as the North East. He has commanded the Counter Insurgency Force (Victor) in South Kashmir.
On assuming command, Lieutenant General Srivastava extended warm greetings to the people of Kashmir, reaffirming his commitment to work closely with the civil administration and the community, to build a peaceful and prosperous future.
He urged members of the society to join hands with the security agencies in overcoming the challenges posed by terrorism.
“As the mantle of leadership passes on, the Chinar Corps remains a symbol of unity, resilience and hope, dedicated to securing the region, ushering peace alongside nurturing its cultural heritage and future aspirations,’ the spokesman said.
Lt Gen Ghai’s tenure in Kashmir witnessed a strong security architecture facilitating peace and stability in the region.
“It saw the conduct of two incident free Amarnath Yatras, the Parliamentary Elections in May 2024 and the Assembly Elections after a period of 10 years, in September to October 2024. The Corps achieved numerous successes in counter infiltration operations on the Line of Control and in counter terrorists operations in the valley, thereby dealing a significant and crippling blow to the terror network. Today, the region stands at the doors of a new dawn.” the spokesman said.
Lt Gen Ghai now moves to Army Headquarters where he will assume the appointment at the Director General of Military Operations.