Hostel for martyrs’ wards opens today

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 17

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will inaugurate the Rs 9-crore Garhwal Rifles War Memorial Boys and Girls Hostel at Danda Lakhond on Sunday. 

The hostel, which can accommodate 250 children, is meant for the wards of martyrs, ‘Veer Naris’, war veterans and serving Army personnel residing in remote hilly areas of the state. 

It has a library, Wi-Fi, mess and coaching facility for students. The Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre, Lansdowne, has constructed the hostel over 4.85 acres provided by the state government.

It has a tube-well and all internal and external services such as sewage disposal, area drainage, road, path, culverts and solar water systems. With a covered area of around 4,400 square metres, the hostel will accommodate 125 boys and an equal number of girls. 

Chief Minister TS Rawat will be present at the inauguration ceremony. 

Though the foundation stone for the hostel was laid way back in 2011 by then Chief Minister, Maj Gen (retd) BC Khanduri, but could not go further due to fund shortage. Finally, Army Vice-Chief Lt General Sarath Chand, the then GOC-in-C, Southwestern Command, had done the ‘bhumi pujan’ in September 2016.