Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would be celebrating New Year with Armed Forces at forwards posts along Indo- China border of Uttarakhand. Singh arrived at Uttarkashi district on Sunday where he visited the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp on Sunday.
The Chopper of Singh landed at Matli helipad about eight kilometers from the district headquarters. The Commandant of the 12th Battalion of ITBP, K S Rawat, the District Magistrate (DM) of Uttarkashi Ashish Chauhan and local MLA Gopal Singh Rawat welcomed the Union Home Minister at his arrival.
Located on the banks of Bhagirathi, picturesque Matli is the headquarters of 12 battalion of the ITBP.
He would meet the officers and Jawans at Matli and attend a cultural programme by the Jawans and their family members. On Monday the Home Minister would visit Nelong valley and celebrate New Year with Jawans stationed at outpost situated at an altitude of 11700 feet. He is also expected to visit Bhairon Ghati, Pulam Sumdha (14200 feet) and Kopang outposts of the ITBP. The Director General (DG) of ITBP, R K Pachnanda would accompany him. The visit of the Home Minister would be his second visit to Indo – China border in last few months.
He made it a point to celebrate Diwali with the ITBP personnel positioned on forward posts. His visit also assumes significance in wake of the recent reinforcement of troops by China at Doklam which witnessed a long standoff between two Asian powers over China’s plan to construct a road.
More than 90,000 troops of ITBP are assigned an arduous task of guarding a 3488 km long Indo- China border from Karakorum pass in Laddakh to Jajeph La in Arunachal Pradesh.
The force was set up as a special border force on October 24, 1962 after conflict of 1962 with China.