Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh on Monday visited forward locations in eastern Ladakh where he also interacted with members of the 15th Finance Commission, a defence spokesperson said.
The 15th Finance Commission team, led by chairman N K Singh, is on a visit to field formations in the Northern Command, gain first-hand knowledge about challenges faced by the Army in discharging their duties under extreme terrain and altitude conditions, the spokesperson said.
Amongst its many charters, he said the Finance Commission is also mandated to take stock of the requirements of the armed forces and assess the financial outlay required to meet the operational needs in terms of roads, infrastructure, weapons and equipment.
Lt Gen Singh apprised the members about the unique challenges faced by the forces in the Ladakh sector, the spokesperson said.
Accompanied by General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps Lt Gen Y K Joshi, the Northern Commander during his visit to forward locations was briefed on the operational situation and readiness being maintained in the sector.
Lt Gen Singh interacted with the troops deployed there and complimented them for their tenacity and dedication to duty in extreme terrain and in conditions of adversity, the spokesperson said, adding that he urged them to continue to uphold the highest standards of professionalism of the Army.
Later in the day, the spokesperson said the GOC-in-Chief had a meeting with prominent members of the civil society, including former ambassador to Kyrgyzstan P Stobdan and first Vice Chancellor of Ladakh University C Phonsog.
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"Issues related to civic developments post-declaration of Ladakh as a Union Territory were discussed during the interaction. The constructive and positive role played by the Army in the development of Ladakh and contribution in meeting the aspirations of locals were also discussed," the spokesperson said.
He said the Army commander assured full support of Northern Command in making the UT of Ladakh a success story and a model for others to emulate.