lt General Abhay Krishna on Monday was appointed as the Kolkata-based Eastern Command chief and will take over the new responsibility from incumbent lt Gen Praveen Bakshi on Tuesday. He retired on Monday. Krishna, till now was the South-Western command chief and assumes new charge amidst the ongoing stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Sikkim in eastern sector.
Krishna brings with him a great measure of professional competence and vast operational experience as he has served four tenures along the line of Actual Control(lAC) with China. A gallantry award winner in counter insurgency in Manipur, he commanded Rashtriya Rifles battalion in the Kashmir valley. A thorough professional, he has served two tenures as UN observer, in Mozambique & Rawanda and another in Burundi.
In the eastern sector, he commanded an infantry battalion in Sikkim, was responsible for planning operations in 3 Corps in the North East Sector and later commanded an infantry division and a Corps in the same area. After a stint in the South Western Command, he now assumes the responsibility of the Eastern Theatre.