Lieutenant General S K Saini, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal relinquished the command authority of Southern Army on Friday.
In a solemn ceremony on his departure, the army commander paid homage to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in the city. The general officer will be moving to Delhi to assume the coveted appointment of vice-chief of the Army Staff.
The army commander has given the required impetus to operational and logistics issues greatly enhancing the operational efficiency of the Southern Command whose area of responsibility includes 11 states and four union territories.
Some of the major achievements during his tenure include the Indian Army winning the International army scoutmasters competition defeating formidable teams from Russia, Ukraine and China, orchestration of a large exercise with troops in the deserts that is exercise Sindhu Sudarshan in November 2019, undertaking massive flood relief and rescue operations in 34 districts spread over five states and evacuating more than 45,000 persons to safety in July/August 2019. He also undertook multiple joint training exercises with friendly foreign countries including exercise Africa-India joint field training exercise having 18 participating countries and a joint tri-services exercise Indra between India and Russia.
Besides operations, the general also resolved a large number of pending land issues and enhanced synergy between the defence forces and various civil defence organisations through proactive and focussed engagement. Administrative issues like education, discipline, and medical were given due emphasis wherein development initiatives involving schools, professional colleges and hospitals got initiated and executed at various locations including that at Pune.
{{/usCountry}}Besides operations, the general also resolved a large number of pending land issues and enhanced synergy between the defence forces and various civil defence organisations through proactive and focussed engagement. Administrative issues like education, discipline, and medical were given due emphasis wherein development initiatives involving schools, professional colleges and hospitals got initiated and executed at various locations including that at Pune.
{{/usCountry}}Neena Saini, regional president Southern Command Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), was a driving force behind all family welfare activities in Southern Command. Under her able supervision, the Command undertook the creation of infrastructure for skill development with a focus in enhancing employability of the spouses of the soldiers. She was at the forefront in conceptualization and execution of multifarious pragmatic schemes for the Veer Naris and for mainstreaming specially-abled children. All ranks of Pune Cantonment gave a befitting and dignified farewell to general and SK Saini.