Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded the efforts of soldiers of the Indian Army in providing and ensuring a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere for the common people of the country.
“You people leave your homes, villages, friends and families to do a tough job for the motherland,” the Prime Minister told over a thousand soldiers at a sainik summelan held at XV Corps headquarters shortly after he arrived here on his maiden visit. He paid obeisance at a war memorial built in the precincts of a historic temple inside the cantonment area. Vice Chief of Army Staff, lt Gen Dalbir Suhag, who is succeeding the incumbent Army chief, accompanied the Prime Minister.
Modi held a meeting with top Army commanders serving in Jammu & Kashmir to discuss situation along the line of Control, International Border and the line of Actual Control. He said that the struggle that soldiers have to do while carrying out their duties cannot be understood by the people who live in normal environments. “It is because of your struggle that the people of country live a peaceful life,” Modi said.
Modi later flew to frontier Uri pocket of north Kashmir to inaugurate 240 MW Uri-II Hydro Electric Project here. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the Government has laid stress on environment-friendly energy of which hydro power is an important constituent. He said J&K has a potential of production of 13-14 thousand MW clean and environment-friendly energy for which he said all the efforts would be channelised.
Modi said J&K is on the path of development and progress and visualised many big milestones in coming days. The Prime Minister also announced upgradation of local Kendraya Vidalya from High School to Higher Secondary School for which admission would be started from the coming session. Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal accompanied the Prime Minister to Uri.