Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar assumes charge of Andaman & Nicobar Command

Port Blair, Oct 1 (PTI) Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar on Wednesday assumed charge of the Andaman & Nicobar Command as the 19th Commander-in-Chief (CINCAN), officials said.

Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Rana handed over command of the ANC on Tuesday to Vice Admiral Kochhar, they said.

“His tenure was marked by high operational readiness, deeper synergy within ANC, enhanced jointmanship between Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, decisive push for infrastructure and close civil-military coordination,” the Andaman & Nicobar Command said in a statement.

Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Rana addressed long-standing bottlenecks in infrastructure development at forward operating bases, the officials said.

He ensured enhanced operational coordination with foreign navies through Joint Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT), reinforcing its role in safeguarding India's maritime interests, they said.

During his tenure, the Andaman & Nicobar Command also pursued the inclusion of five key projects under the PM Gati Shakti Yojna – runway extensions at INS Baaz and INS Kohassa, road and protection wall at Air Force Station Car Nicobar, road connectivity in North Andaman and upgradation of fuel storage facilities – the officials added. PTI SN RBT