Jai Ram Thakur meets defence minister, seeks Himachal regiment
SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday met defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi and demanded a Himachal regiment to recognise the services of soldiers of the state in defence sector.
“More than 1,200 soldiers have laid down their lives for the motherland and 1,100 gallantry awards, including four Param Vir Chakra (PVC) have been conferred to the people of Himachal,” the CM said.
Thakur told the defence minister that armed forces were the most preferred career choice for the state youth, however, recruitment quota for the state has been reduced after implementation of RMP (recruitable male population) concept and requested for increasing the same.
He also urged the defence minister to initiate development of Kangra Airport for the Indian Air Force and added that with the expansion of the airport it can be used for the defence purposes as well.
“It will require acquisition of additional 571 acre land, the cost of which will need to be met by the defence ministry,” the CM said. He also requested for an assurance that civilian flights will continue to be operated from the airport even after its development as a defence asset.
Thakur also asked for support by the ministry in shifting war equipment to War Memorial in Dharamshala which has been constructed as a tribute to martyrs, besides requesting for taking forward the case of ManaliLeh railway line, which is strategically important to the nation from the defence point of view.