Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) facing China in Arunachal Pradesh and operational readiness of the Armed forces to meet any challenge.

He visited the forward areas of 3 Corps in Anini, a village in Dibang valley of Arunachal Pradesh and made an on-the-ground assessment of the country’s defence preparedness along the LAC by taking stock of the entire gamut of security-related aspects, defence ministry officials said here.

Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Eastern Command chief R P Kalita and other senior officers accompanied the defence minister who also interacted with the troops posted in the area. After his visit to the forward areas, Rajnath had an interaction with armed Forces personnel in Tezpur, Assam. In his address, he commended the dedication and sacrifice of the soldiers posted at the borders, bravely protecting the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. Strengthening India’s military prowess has been the government’s top priority ever since it came to power since 2014, with focus on equipping the Services with state-of-the-art weapons and equipment through an ‘Aatmanirbhar’ defence industry, he said. The defence minister appreciated the fact that the government’s efforts have resulted in making a strong military which is fully capable of protecting the nation from all kinds of threats. As part of the day’s engagements, Rajnath also interacted with the members of second religious expedition to Athu Popu, an annual trek of local Idu Mishmi tribe, which is being facilitated by the Indian Army since 2021 as part of outreach and continued efforts towards supporting the locals and development of tourism.

On Wednesday, he had visited army formation in Dinjan, Assam. He is on a three-day visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh till September 30.

During the visit, the defence minister reviewed the operational readiness of the formation in the easternmost part of the country. He was briefed on infrastructure development along the LAC as well as capability development and operational preparedness.

Rajnath was also briefed on employment of cutting-edge military equipment and technology to enhance operational efficiency of the troops deployed on the front line. He will also review infrastructure projects of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) during his three-day visit.