Srinagar: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday reviewed security situation in the Kashmir valley during his maiden visit to Srinagar after assuming charge.
Singh was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and the Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh.
They were received by Lt Gen K J S Dhillon, Chinar Corps Commander in Srinagar.
The Defence Minister was briefed in detail about the situation on the Line of Control and the hinterland, besides the successful anti-terror operations, a Defence spokesperson said.
He said the minister was apprised of “the great synergy and close coordination” among all government agencies for bringing back normalcy in the region.

He was also apprised of the ongoing preparations for smooth conduct of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.
Lauding the “valour, sacrifice and patriotic fervour of every soldier serving in these challenging situations for national integrity”, Singh said the country was proud of its soldiers.
He urged all to continue the good work that they were doing and ensure safety of the innocent people while dealing firmly with the inimical elements, the defence spokesperson added.
The Defence Minister also impressed upon the commanders to maintain strict vigil along the Line of Control and remain prepared to give a befitting reply to any misadventure from across the border, he added.
Singh also visited Siachen, the world’s highest battle field, and interacted with soldiers guarding the border beyond the heights of 12,000 ft.
Singh, accompanied by Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, saluted the valour of the soldiers and said he will personally send a thank you note to their parents for letting them serve the nation.
“Our soldiers in Siachen are performing their duty with great courage and fortitude even in extreme conditions and treacherous terrain. I salute their vigour and valour,” the Defence Minister tweeted.
He also laid a wreath at the Siachen War Memorial.
“I am proud of all Army personnel serving in Siachen who are leaving no stone unturned to defend our motherland,” Rajnath Singh said.
“I am also proud of their parents who have sent their children to serve the nation by joining the armed forces. I will personally send a thank you note to them,” Singh said.
The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum Range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Avalanches and landslides are common at the glacier during the winters and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.
The Defence Minister said more than 1,100 soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice defending the Siachen Glacier.
“The nation will always remain indebted to their service and sacrifice,” he said.
In his first visit outside Delhi as defence minister, Singh also reviewed security preparedness in Siachen with top field commanders of the area.
Later, Singh arrived at the headquarters of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps at Badamibagh Cantonment here for a briefing on India’s preparedness to deal with any possible eventuality or misadventure by Pakistan.
Singh’s predecessors like Sharad Pawar, George Fernandes, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Nirmala Sitharaman too had visited Siachen.
Fernandes, as Defence minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, once sent two senior bureaucrats of his ministry to Siachen glacier when he came to know that they had held back a file on purchase of snow bikes for soldiers deployed there.

Courtesy: State Times News: June 04, 2019