Key Points

On this occasion, the Chief Minister paid tribute to all the passengers who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash and expressed condolences to their families. Two minutes of silence was observed for the peace of the souls of those who died in the plane crash.

Welcoming the brave soldiers and officers of ITBP, the Chief Minister said that this campaign is not only a symbol of courage and determination, but also an important step towards the strategic security of the border areas and the preservation of cultural heritage.

He said that under this campaign, a 45-member team of ITBP will undertake a difficult journey of about 1032 km from Uttarakhand to Ladakh via Himachal Pradesh. This campaign will not only ensure monitoring of strategically important places, but will also prove helpful in identifying religious, historical and cultural sites and promoting local traditions, a release said.

The Chief Minister said that it is a matter of pride that a large number of brave soldiers serving in the army and paramilitary forces from Veerbhoomi Uttarakhand are contributing to the defense of the country. He said that the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force has been playing an important role in protecting the country's borders as well as in relief and rescue operations during disasters since the year 1962.

Referring to the steps taken for the empowerment of the armed forces under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said that through 'Operation Sindoor' India has once again proved that our commitment towards the security of the country is unwavering.

He said that the state government is continuously working for the welfare of soldiers and their families.

Schemes like free travel in government buses for gallantry award winning soldiers and ex-servicemen, exemption in stamp duty on purchase of property and special grant for marriage of daughters are also being run.

Under the Himadri Trekking Campaign, the ITBP team will cover a total distance of 1032 km. In this, the team will cross 27 valleys and 27 passes. He said that its objective is to promote tourism and local economy as well as to promote adventure tourism in vibrant village areas. He said that a total of 84 vibrant villages will come in this trekking route. During this, 3.5 lakh fruit plants will also be distributed to the local people by the campaign team.

Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, DGP Deepam Seth, IG ITBP Girish Chandra Upadhyay and ITBP soldiers were present on this occasion.

- ANI