The tour was flagged off by Officiating Commander of 163 Infantry Brigade, Colonel K M Singh, from Nariyan in Nowshera belt of Rajouri today, defence spokesman said here.
They will visit Varanasi and Lucknow, he said adding, the tour is aimed to instill a sense of awareness among the locals and provide them a glimpse of areas, which due to establishment of various employment generating industries have led to rapid development of the region.
The individuals were screened to assess their suitability to grasp the impact of development and for initiative to apply these ideas innovatively in their respective areas, Singh said adding the members would also visit historical places of interest in and around Varanasi and Lucknow.
The tour would be a life time opportunity for the members to witness the fruits of development as also experience the cultural depth of our country and would go a long way in incorporating the people of J-K into the national mainstream, the spokesman said.
He also highlighted the importance of Operation Sadbhavana being undertaken by the Army and assured everyone that Army would continue with such projects in future also.