For the first time, the Army has approved the recruitment of village women at four newly raised Territorial Army (TA) infantry battalions in the Valley, which includes combat training and employment benefits for ten months every year.Army Headquarters has sent a proposal to the Defence Ministry and is likely to receive clearance shortly from the government. The concept of a TA battalion involves the recruitment, training and deployment of local civilians in conflict areas under the command of Army officers.‘‘During war, the TA battalions will allow regular Army troops to concentrate on actual fighting by taking on less critical tasks such as guarding military installations and ammunition dumps and patrolling sensitive areas. In peacetime, they will be used for regular patrolling of areas and intelligence gathering,’’ an Army officer said.
