The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : OTA cadets to get better accommodation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 06, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

OTA cadets to get better accommodation

R.K. Radhakrishnan

First phase of expansion of facilities completed

BEFITTING THE OFFICERS: The newly constructed gentlemen cadets' accommodation at the Officers Training Academy at St. Thomas Mount. — Photo: R. SHIVAJI RAO

CHENNAI: Cadets can look forward to better accommodation and other support structures at the Officers Training Academy, as the first phase of expansion of facilities has been completed as per schedule.

The first phase involved building facility for accommodation and mess, "befitting officers." Right now, the cadets are housed in barracks in facilities, which are about a century old. ``Actually that was our first priority,'' said Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor, William Isaaks.

Work on the first phase of the Rs.100-crore upgradation plan for the prestigious Academy began in 2000. The idea was to build an academy that caters to future needs and would be comparable with premier defence training institutions. The list of other facilities include a new weapons' training complex, indoor games and sports facilities and allied infrastructure.

The academy trains men and women cadets to be commissioned into the Army as Short Service Commissioned Officers.

In the first phase, 250 men cadets and all 75 lady cadets will get accommodation in swank new rooms. "At any point of time, there are about 600 cadets because there are two courses for gentlemen cadets and one for lady cadets," he said.

Hence, priority in the second phase will be to meet the accommodation needs and adding a new headquarters building, lecture halls and classrooms. An Olympic-sized swimming pool, a state-of-the-art stadium and accommodation for 250 more cadets will be added in the third phase. Once it is completed in 2012, the OTA will be able to cater to 750 men cadets.

The duration of the men cadets' course has been increased to 11months. From the next course, lady cadets too will have it for the same duration, up from six months as it is now. Since the inception of the academy 42 years ago, 21,439 officers, including 992 lady officers have passed out of the academy. Two courses were conducted exclusively for cadets from Sri Lanka in 1980 and 1981 and 74 of the cadets were commissioned. Ten cadets from Uganda passed out from the academy in September 1998.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu