Parrikar meets Army bravehearts in Siachen
23 May 2015 11:33 PM GMT
Visiting Siachen glacier for the first time after becoming Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar on Friday met the troops at the base camp of the world’s highest battlefield, as he kicked off his two-day security review tour of Jammu and Kashmir.
Parrikar, who was sworn in as the Defence Minister in the Narendra Modi government on November 9, also conducted an aerial survey of the glacier.
The Minister, who is accompanied by Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, later met state Governor <g data-gr-id="30">N N</g> Vohra and Chief <g data-gr-id="33">MInister</g> Mufti Mohammad Sayeed here for discussions on the prevailing security scenario in the state, defence officials said.
The Defence Minister and his entourage arrived at the <g data-gr-id="25">Thoise</g> Airbase early in the morning from where they went by <g data-gr-id="26">a helicopter</g> to the Siachen base camp.
Parrikar laid a wreath at the memorial at Siachen base camp and interacted with the troops posted in the toughest deployment terrain.
“He(Parrikar) praised the courage of the troops and their devotion to duty,” the officials said.
The Defence Minister was briefed by senior army officials about the situation in the glacier area, they said adding, Parrikar later conducted an aerial survey of the glacier.
From Siachen, he went to Leh where General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 14 Corps Lt Gen B S Negi briefed him about the situation along the Line of Actual Control(LoAC) on the Chinese side and the Line of Control(LoC) along the Pakistani side, the officials said.
On his arrival here, the Defence Minister was briefed about the security situation in Kashmir Valley including the anti-infiltration grid put in place.
Discusses security situation with Mufti
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday met J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and discussed security situation of the state. The leaders discussed the situation along the LOC and in the hinterland of the state, sources said. The issue of revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) did not figure in the discussions. They said the CM raised the issue of prompt release of funds to Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for maintenance of the Highways within the state.
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