Pharka lauds ITBP’s role in defending border

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 23

State Chief Secretary VC Pharka yesterday lauded the contribution of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in defending border areas, internal security and maintaining law and order.

He said the active role played by the force in a recent drive to uproot cannabis and opium plantations was highly commendable. Pharka, who was the chief guest at the mountain expedition “flag in” ceremony at the regional headquarters of the ITBP at Tara Devi near here, congratulated the ITBP expedition for scaling high mountain peaks in hostile terrain.

He said Leo Pargil peak in Kinnaur was also a symbol of religious faith and discipline and coordination exhibited by ITBP jawans in scaling the peak was highly appreciable.

Managing the ITBP check posts on the borders under freezing cold conditions with the mercury dipping 40 degrees below freezing point at an altitude ranging from 9000 ft to 18,700 feet, fighting the Naxal menace in Chhattisgarh, providing security for Mansarovar and Amarnath Yatra and guarding the Indian High Commission at Afghanistan was no mean task and the ITBP jawans deserved praise for handling all these sensitive tasks, he added.

The 22-member expedition, led by Saddharth Kumar, was flagged off from Shimla on August 29. The team, which was a mix of experienced and young blood, scaled Leo Pargil peak (22,222 ft) in Kinnaur on September 11.

HS Goraya, Inspector General of North Frontier, said the ITBP was established on October 24,1962, for guarding the Tibet border with just four battalions. It had now expanded to a big force — Five frontiers, 15 sectors and 56 battalions. The ITBP had earned a rare distinction in mountain expeditions and its teams had scaled more than 200 peaks, including Mount Everest, Nanda Devi and Dhauligiri, he added.