Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 11: Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju today held high level review of situation at Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield between India and Pakistan located at the height of 18,875 feet from the sea level in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. He reviewed operational preparedness of the troops at Siachen Glacier and along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh.
Rijiju flew-in to Siachen base from New Delhi this morning and then to the Icy Heights of Glacier, where he had brief halts, met the Army Commanders and jawans, inter-acted with them and had first hand information of the situation prevailing at the Glacier, where India shared boundary with Pakistan, which is being manned under extreme tough and hostile weather conditions.
Sources told the Excelsior that Rijiju reviewed preparedness of the troops at the highest battlefield with Pakistan as well as along LAC with China in Eastern Ladakh during his visit to the Glacier and forward posts. Army mans the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan at Siachen Glacier while Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), a para-military force under the Union Home Ministry is deployed along LAC with China, apart from the Army.
Sources said the development of infrastructure, providing sophisticated weaponry and equipments to the troops and meeting their other requirements were high on agenda of Rijiju’s visit. He had detailed review of these requirements and assured the troops that the Central Government was committed to meet their requirements.
Boundaries with Pakistan at Siachen Glacier and China in Eastern Ladakh are on high agenda of the Central Government and, in the recent past, series of measures have been taken by the Central Government to strengthen Army and ITBP by equipping them with latest gadgetry and building infrastructure.
On his Siachen visit, Kiren Rijiju was all praise of Army as he tweeted: “flying above 21,000 feet at Siachen. Salute to our ‘Siachen pioneers’ unit of Indian Air Force (IAF) and the brave jawans securing our borders”.
According to sources, the Union Minister assured the troops that their all requirements will be met.
Though not a single shot has been exchanged at Siachen Glacier between Indo-Pak troops for past quite some time, troops had last year suffered casualties due to snow avalanches. Ten jawans were killed in avalanches at the Glacier last year while three Army jawans were killed in Batalik sector of Kargil district in snow avalanche only a day before.
The visit of Union Ministers including the Prime Minister himself, Defence, Home and others has been quite frequent to Siachen Glacier as well as Eastern Ladakh along LAC with China to boost morale of the troops, assess requirements of the troops operating under extreme tough circumstances and fulfill them.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Home Kiren Rijiju and top officers of Defence and Home Ministry have already visited Siachen Glacier and Ladakh sector, where India shared un-demarcated boundary with China.
Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, soon after taking over the reign of affairs in first week of January this year, had visited Siachen Glacier besides other areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said while the Indian troops were strongly placed at Siachen Glacier as compared to Pakistan, still efforts were being made to meet their requirements pertaining to weather related problems. However, India was now trying to match the strength of China and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, where the country badly lacked in infrastructure, weaponry and other requirements as compared to the neighbour due to lack of interest on this front by the previous Governments.
While China has constructed roads right up to its last posts along LAC, Indian troops had been facing problems due to virtually no roads. The efforts have now been initiated to take roads right up to the forward posts, provide modernized weaponry and vehicles to the troops and meet their other requirements, sources said.
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