NEW DELHI, Feb 15: India’s huge and costly deployment of troops and heavy armour on the border with Pakistan is in its second month and there are no signs of a lowering in tension.

Several defence experts say the 45-day-old buildup has served its limited purpose and could start telling on the troops, so that government leaders and top military brass will have to review it.

“In strategic and operational terms, the deployment has brought about the military persuasion expected of it,” said retired lieutenant-general V.R. Raghavan.

“No more gains can be expected to accrue in its continuance,” he said, adding that President Pervez Musharraf would be held to a pledge to fight terrorism.

“Readiness for war cannot continue forever, you either finish it off or come back,” said retired major-general Afsir Karim. “It was a show of force, it had its impact, but it’s over now.”

Indian leaders privately say the stalemate could be more quickly ended if Pakistan honours their demand that it hand over 20 men accused of criminal and terrorist acts in India.

“Handing over these people, at least the 14 Indian nationals, would be a visible demonstration of Pakistan’s declared commitment to fight terrorism,” said a minister, adding that such a move could help start the de-escalation process.

Pakistan has refused to hand over any of the wanted men.

Instead the two sides have stepped up the war of words, with Islamabad accusing New Delhi of involvement in the kidnapping of US reporter Daniel Pearl, and of plans for a nuclear test.

“Frankly, it is a tough call to make, the statements coming from that side of the border are not encouraging at all, and yet you cannot keep the army permanently there,” said Karim.

One former army chief said it was disconcerting for soldiers to be on war alert while the rest of the country focused on state elections.

“These things do not go unnoticed in the army,” he said.

“It is not a good idea to keep troops on a prolonged state of alert and forward deployment as if on a chessboard,” the Hindu newspaper said in an editorial on Friday.

COSTS MOUNT:The defence ministry has refused to say how much it costs to mass hundreds of thousands of soldiers, backed by tanks, jets and warships on the front, stretching from occupied Kashmir to the Arabian Sea, but analysts estimate it could be upwards of 200 million dollars.