CDS Gen Anil Chauhan chairs 35th Tri-services Commanders’ conference
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan on Wednesday chaired the 35th Tri-services Commanders’ Conference (TSTCC) at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has informed that the Indian Air Force is in the process of taking over three air landing strips—Pithoragarh, Dharasu, and Gauchar in Uttarakhand, which will not only be strategically useful for the defence forces but also help in improving the connectivity of the state.
Pithoragarh is in the Kumaon Hills and Dharasu and Gauchar are in the Garhwal Hills.
“Pithoragarh, Dharasu, and Gauchar are landing grounds in Uttarakhand. These landing strips are made on the land of the state government. The state government wanted the Armed Forces to take over these airstrips which will not only be of strategic use but also help in improving air connectivity for the local people there,” General Chauhan said while addressing the event ‘Raibaar-5’.
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“We have accepted this proposal, and the Indian Air Force is in the process of taking over these three landing grounds. We will expand these strips for strategic use and to help locals,” he said.
Mentioning about other measures that the armed forces have taken to help people in forward areas in border states like Uttarakhand, General Chauhan said the forces used to buy local produce like milk and fresh food from cooperative societies in states like Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and the union territory of Ladakh.
“This was not applicable to the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh till now, but it has been made applicable in these two states also. Now the Army will buy local produce from the cooperatives in these two states and help them,” he said.
The CDS said the forces have also expanded the scope of Operation Sadbhavna to the border states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand from last year, and this will help them benefit from these schemes
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