Parliament’s defence panel visits Army firing range in Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer: A delegation of MPs for the Standing Committee on Defence (SCOD) visited Pokhran Field Firing Range located near Jaisalmer and witnessed Integrated Fire Power Demonstration on Sunday.
The 22-member defence ministry committee led by Rajya Sabha member Jual Oram witnessed Indian Army’s firing power at the Pokhran range. The MPs were welcomed by 12 Corp commander Lt Gen Rakesh Kapoor, who informed them about the firing and operational activities of the army at the range. The MPs saw the employment of versatile and indigenously manufactured weapon systems and their use in simulated battlefield conditions with devastating effects on the target. They also reviewed the existing and planned infrastructure development in the ranges for adopting to the future requirements of training by Indian Army.
The committee will visit Jaisalmer on Tuesday. They will be briefed by Lieutenant General AK Singh, Army Commander of the Pune-based Southern Command.
The committee will also visit the Longewala battlefield, which witnessed the victory of India in the 1971 war with Pakistan, on Tuesday. The committee will then go to a BoP in Tanot area and get information about the activities of the entire border belt from BSF jawans and officers.
The SCOD is a committee of selected MPs for the purpose of legislative overviewing the central government’s defence policies and the decision making of the defence ministry.