Patil presents police medals to 18 ITBP personnel on its Raising Day

New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) Union Home Minister Shivraj V Patil today presented President's Police Medal and Police Medals for Distinguished and Meritorious Service to 18 Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel at its 45th Raising Day.

Complimenting the ITBP for its modernisation schemes to upgrade its weaponry, training methodology, communication equipment and infrastructure developments, the Home Minster said the measures taken by the force would prepare the force to meet the growing challenges as its use for internal security, maintaining Law and order and disaster management was increasing day by day.

Mr Patil, while appreciating the extremely challenging and hazardous conditions in which ITBP troops operated, said he was aware of their problems and would do all to mitigate it and added that soon it would have its own Air Wing.

This would considerably mitigate the hardships faced by Jawans at the forward locations and increase their maneuverability and enhance operational capabilities of the force, he said.

Presently manning the 3,488 km Indo-China Border Starting from Karakoram pass in the West to Dipu La in Arunachal Pradesh, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force turned 44 today, while playing a vital role in the defence of one of the toughest Himalayan borders and that of the North-East.

Those who received President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service were Rajiv Mehta (IG), M S Danu (DIG), R S Negi (Addl DIG) and Kartar Singh Malik (Asstt Commandant - Telecom).

Recepients of the Police Medal for Meritorious Service are K B Singh (DIG), P S Papta (Commandant), Dr A K Singh (CMO - SG), Ajit Singh Dahiya (Asstt Commandant), Inspectors Bhag Singh Verma Hira Ram, Mohan Singh Thakur, Harbans Lal, Sub-Inspectors Lal Singh, Bijendra Prasad, Satya Singh, and Head Constables Bhag Singh, Jaram Singh and Ganga Singh Rawat.

Earlier, ITBP Director General V K Joshi the force had established six regional disaster response centres in the Himalayan region with it being designated as the 'nodal agency' for Disaster Management in the Himalayan region.

''We have also established a national level training centre for training people on Disaster Management at Chandigarh,'' he added.

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