Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh todayflagged off the Northern Frontier Mountaineering Expedition of Indian Tibetan Border Police to Mount Leo Pargil from ITBP Campus in Tara Devi here.
The Chief Minister said he was happy to learn that the ITBP team was led by Siddharth Kumar and his deputy Anoop Kumar Negi and comprised Joth Singh, Pradeep Negi and Devendra Singh who had earlier scaled the Mount Everest.
Hecongratulated them and said besides the adventure and challenge, it would also help the ITBP Jawans to assess their mettle and determination.
Mount Leo Pargil lies at a height of 22,222 feet.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh said the government would give all possible assistance to armed forces for strengthening rail, road and air infrastructure in border areas.
"If the army wants to have an airfield near Indo-Tibet border somewhere in Spiti valley, we will provide them all possible assistance," he added.
He said the state government had raised this issue with the central government time and again and also of the construction of Bilaspur-Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Leh broad gauge rail line.
Currently, General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) under Border Roads Organization (BRO) is maintaining border roads but as the terrain is hilly, it becomes difficult to undertake developmental works as compared to Chinese side where there were vast wide plateaus, he said.
Earlier, Inspector General ITBP, H S Goraya highlighted the activities of ITBP and its contribution in the state in terms of development.
Speaking to mediapersons on sidelines of the function, the Chief Minister welcomed the lifting of curfew in Kashmir and said itwas a good gesture on the part of the Jammu and Kashmir government and an effort towards restoration of 'Aman, Shanti and Ekta'.
He said fencing would be done on all sides of water storage tanks in the town and the tanks would be locked from outside to avoid any incident similar to the murder case of four-year-old boy, Yug.
It was criminal negligence on the part of Municipal Corporation, Shimla, he alleged.
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