Guwahati: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh paid a visit to Kamakhya temple atop Nilachal Hills on the southern bank of mighty river Brahmaputra
on Friday morning and prayed to the deity. As the temple is closed (till 30 June) because of the Covid-19 pandemic guidelines, the
defence minister prayed in front of the temple’s main door. Later the Union minister, accompanied by Assam chief minister Dr
Himanta Biswa Sarma, visited the corona hospital erected by DRDO at Sarusajai sports complex in the city. Singh spent the night at Raj
Bhavan where State Governor professor Jagadish Mukhi hosted a dinner in his honour and was attended by CM Sarma, former CM Sarbananda
Sonowal, legislative assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary with others. Singh on Thursday, dedicated 12 roads, built by Border Roads
Organisation (BRO) in the northern and eastern border areas to the nation understanding that these roads would play an important role in
national security and development of north-eastern region. Attending an event at Lakhimpur in eastern Assam, Singh inaugurated a 20-km long
Kimin-Potin (double lane) path along with nine other roads in Arunachal Pradesh and one each in the union territories of Ladakh and
Jammu & Kashmir. The projects were implemented by BRO under Arunank, Vartak, Brahmank, Udayak, Himank, Sampark, etc initiatives. Speaking
on the occasion, the Union minister commented that the new roads hold strategic and socio-economic importance as those would play an
important role in strengthening national security as well as promoting development in the region.
“These roads will be helpful in fulfilling the needs of our armed forces and transporting necessities like medicines and ration to
remote areas,” said Singh adding that these projects were part of the Centre’s Act East Policy where special emphasis is given on the
overall development of border areas. He reiterated the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Union
government in New Delhi for the comprehensive development of north-eastern region describing it as the gateway to the eastern Asian
countries. Singh also paid tributes to the soldiers who showed exemplary courage during the Galwan valley incident last year and many
of them made supreme sacrifices. In presence CM Sarma, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu,
DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh (virtually), Union minister Kiren Rijiju, chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat, BRO director
general Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry with others, Singh asserted that Bharat is a peace-loving nation but its response to aggression has been
resolute. He also touched upon some major reforms undertaken by the Centre
underlining the constant efforts to make the country self-reliant in defence manufacturing under AatmaNirbhar Bharat initiative envisioned
by PM Modi saying the government is actively working towards making Bharat a defence manufacturing hub reducing its dependence on imports.
Raksha Mantri prays at Kamakhya temple
