Lt Gen approaches tribunal against Army decision

Lt Gen G S Bisht, the Commandant of the Officers Training Academy in Gaya, has approached the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) challenging the appointment of Lt Gen Nitin Kohli as signal officer-in-chief.
Lt Gen Kohli is presently DG, manpower planning and personnel at Army HQ and is expected to take over as signal officer-in-chief on August 31.
It is learnt that the officer in his plea has sought a stay on the appointment of Lt Gen Kohli as Signal Officer in Chief on the ground that he was junior to him.
The Corps of Signals is a vital wing of the Army which provides communications and electronic warfare support to military commanders, provides connectivity to navy and air force during joint operations.

In a tenure of two to three years, a Signal officer-in-chief looks after communication projects worth several thousand crores.
Hearing the plea from the officer today, the AFT has sought a response from the Government in next three weeks.
Army HQ sources had earlier said, Lt Gen Bisht was superseded on grounds of "suitability" for the job, which, they said, was an important criterion, apart from seniority in such appointments. Lt Gen Kohli was commissioned in December 1975, six months after Lt Gen Bisht.