PTI, UTTARKASHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh will ring in the New Year with Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops in Uttarakhand’s Nelong valley along the China border. This visit comes days after Chinese military said India should “strictly control” its troops. This would be the home minister’s second visit to the Sino-Indian border area in Uttarakhand after his 4-day tour of the region in September. It was one of the firsts by a senior minister in the Narendra Modi-led government to China border after the resolution of the stand-off in Dokalam. Singh would celebrate the New Year tomorrow with ITBP personnel at Nelong Border Outpost (BoP) situated at the height of 11,700 feet. The border outpost is in Nelong valley which is surrounded by high mountains and where temperature dips upto minus 15 degrees Celsius.
The home minister is expected to reach ITBP’s 12th battalion headquarters today in picturesque Matli, located at 400 feet on the banks of Bhagirathi river, where he will ttend a cultural programme by jawans and their family members. He will also visit PDA or Pulam Sumdha (altitude 14,200 feet), Kopang (8,700 feet) and Bhairon Ghati (9,150 feet), and will interact with jawans of the ITBP.
The home minister would be accompanied by ITBP Director General (DG) R K Pachnanda during his visit. The Dokalam standoff began on June 16 after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began building a road in the area claimed by Bhutan.
