Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 19: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will hold high level review of security scenario along with top Commanders of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Leh, visit several forward posts and fly over others, which don’t have road access, during his three days visit to Samba and Leh from September 21-23. Singh will also visit Burtse sector in Leh, which had recently witnessed week long standoff between Sino-Indian troops over construction of watch tower by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its dismantling by the Indian troops.
Rajnath’s visit to Samba and Leh assumed significance as it had earlier been cancelled twice. The visit comes in the wake of Central Government decision to build infrastructure, road and rail, right up to the LAC with China to provide easy access to the troops.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Rajnath Singh will deliberate upon situation prevailing along the China border in Leh with top ITBP Commanders, civil and police administration in Leh and the troops during his visit to forward posts along the China border. He will assess requirements of the ITBP jawans, who have been manning LAC along with China in Leh sector and the Central Government will take decisions accordingly for building infrastructure and equip troops with latest gadgetry.
Sources said the Union Home Minister will visit Chungtash, Hot Spring, Thaksung, Chushul and Chumar Border Out Posts (BOP) on the LAC with China on September 22 and 23 and have detailed inter-action with the top ITBP Commanders and the ITBP officers and jawans deployed at the BOPs to have firsthand account of the situation prevailing along the LAC.
Chushul and Chumar BOPs had, in the past, witnessed incursions by the Chinese troops but the issues were resolved amicably. According to sources, the Union Home Minister apart from reviewing situation along the LAC would like to know infrastructure development India needs in the coming days to match the might of China.
Rajnath Singh will also fly over Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), Track Junction, Murgo and Burtse BOPs to have aerial view of LAC position. These BOPs either don’t have direct road access from Leh or were located in very far off areas. While DBO had witnessed Chinese incursions last year, Burtse saw standoff between Indo-China troops few days back when the PLA soldiers intruded about 500 meters deep inside the Indian territory and installed watch tower there to keep vigil on the Indian troops. However, the Indian Army had dismantled the watch tower and seized camera. The week long standoff was resolved after two simultaneous flag meetings between the senior Army officers of India and China.
Sources said Rajnath Singh will have high level operational preparedness meeting at Sindhu Bhawan in ITBP Campus Leh in the afternoon of September 21, which will be attended by senior officers of ITBP, civil and police administration and other security agencies, operating in Leh. He will address the ITBP jawans at Kumbha Hall.
On his arrival here in the morning of September 21, Rajnath Singh accompanied by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh will visit 47th battalion ITBP camp at Ghagwal in Samba district and inaugurate it and the Officers’ Mess. In the afternoon of the same day, he will fly to Leh from Jammu. He will return to the Union capital from Leh in the afternoon of September 23.
According to sources, soon after Narendra Modi Government took over the reign of affairs last year, India has been concentrating on building infrastructure along the LAC with China not only in Ladakh but Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh to check transgressions by China, which have considerably come down during the past one year.
The Central Government has taken various initiatives to build infrastructure along the LAC and equip Army and ITBP with latest gadgetry.
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