Amid standoff with China, IAF to get land in Uttarakhand to carry out activities in border areas
Dehradun: Amid the ongoing standoff with China along the LAC, Central Air Command chief, Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to seek land for setting up facilities that will help the IAF carry out its activities in the border areas.
The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Central Air Command, during his meeting with Rawat on Friday also discussed the availability of land for installing air defence radars and advance landing ground in the hilly areas of the state due to their strategic significance, an official release said.
Uttarakhand shares its borders with China and Nepal.
Setting up facilities like air defence radars and an advance landing ground in Uttarakhand's hilly districts of Chamoli, Pitgoragarh and Uttarkashi will be of great help to the air force as they are in the country's northeast, the AOC-in-C said.
The Air Marshal also requested for expansion of Pantnagar, Jollygrant and Pitgoragarh airports besides seeking allocation of land for an airport in Chaukhutiya.
The chief minister said land will be made available to the IAF on priority basis to conduct its activities and immediately ordered appointment of a nodal officer in the administration to identify suitable land for the purpose.
Rawat apprised the AOC-in-C about the steps being taken by the state government to develop Pantnagar airport as a green field airport and upgrade facilities at the Jollygrant airport to international standards.
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17 killed as jeep plunges into gorge in Nepal
Kathmandu (PTI): At least 17 people were killed Thursday when a jeep skidded off a hilly road and plunged about 700 metres into a gorge in Nepal's Rolpa district, police said.
The accident occurred in the Jaljala area of Thawang rural municipality when the vehicle slipped on a muddy stretch amid rain and fell down the hillside, they said.
The private jeep was hired by locals travelling to attend the Baisakh Purnima festival on Friday at Jaljala, according to police inspector Sunil Thapa Nepali, information officer at the District Police Office, Rolpa.
Rescue operations are hampered by heavy rain in the area, police said, adding that the exact number of passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident is not yet known.
