LT GEN HARPAL SINGH, PVSM, AVSM,VSM MESSAGE FROM ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF ON 240TH CORPS DAY
It is matter of great honour and pride for me to extend my best wishes to the entire fraternity of the Corps and their families on the momentous occasion of the 240th Anniversary of the Corps of Engineers. I also convey greetings to our Veterans for providing us with a rich legacy, which continues to give us stimulus to work harder and achieve greater heights. I also express my gratitude to our Veer Naris for the strength and resolve displayed by them.
The Corps is persistently marching forward in its relentless pursuit for excellence in all spheres of activities over the years. We are not only rendering engineering support to the three services but are also intimately involved in building infrastructure, providing flood relief, assisting in disaster management and maintaining the border roads. The Sappers are omnipresent. The year gone by has seen the Corps excelling in new vistas and meeting the expectations of the environment which continues to grow with each passing year. In essence, the motto 'SARVATRA' of our Corps is a true reflection of our actions.
The Combat Engineers are working relentlessly to support the fighting formations by executing projects under tight timelines in all kinds of inhospitable terrain so as to keep the troops ready and operational at all times. This year has been an extremely challenging year for the Corps and has tested our capabilities to the extreme. The COVID- 19 pandemic put curbs on most activities, but for us, it was also an opportunity to show that inspite of all constraints, our teams continue to function and provide round the clock support to all stations. A large No of quarantine facilities, test labs and decontamination stations were set up. Military Hospitals were modified into COVID ready hospitals and a large No of COVID response teams were activated. Innovative designs of masks, PPE kits and decontamination systems were tested and then fielded. This won accloades from the entire hierarchy. On the heels came the "Op SNOW LEOPARD", wherein the tasks in high altitude areas were required to be executed within a short time and with resource constraints. Units immediately responded and ensured suitable tracks, bridges and other connectivity to the front line troops. For severe winters, quality habitat has / is being provided to beat the "General Winter" . The Sappers are continuously evolving by carrying out innovations at unit / formation level to expedite and meet daily challenges. Construction and maintenance of operational works at a quick pace and of an extremely high quality in high altitude areas have set a bench mark which is difficult to beat. Combat Engineers have also played a significant role in contributing troops for overseas deployment on United Nations Missions earning an enviable reputation.
Military Engineer Services, the only top tier infrastructure construction agency for all three services continues to excel by adopting new techniques in execution of specialist projects conforming to international standards. The pursuit of meeting the user expectations is our utmost priority and the focus is to incorporate best engineering, practices, ensure quality construction and of meeting the deadlines. In the last one year, despite the pandemic, 1894 dwelling units have been completed under the Married Accommodation Project. Web based e-Governance applications such as ARMAAN MES Complaint module and futuristic Web Based Project Management Portal (WBPMP) have been active and will foster digitisation to the next dimension.
The Border Roads Organisation during the past one year has brought many laurels to the Corps. The Atal Tunnel, Rohtang is a singular achievement that has demonstrated to the nation, the capability and unflinching spirit of BRO. Completion of eight ICBRs, inching towards all weather connectivity to Ladakh via Darcha-Padam-Niraq-Wangla, establishing connectivity on famous Kailash Mansarovar route, completion of more than 50 permanent bridges have been some of the major achievements. Working tirelessly at extreme high altitudes, cutting through rocky mountains in chilly winds, reaching where no other construction agency has ventured before, has become the hallmark of BRO.
Our personnel in Military Survey are matching pace with dynamic changes in the technological development as per the requirements of the Army in totality. Military Survey has taken up several initiatives in Digital Mapping and Survey Techniques. As part of Smart Armed Forces stations, a total of 18 military stations have been mapped using drones. Military Survey has modernised the procedure for clearance by Single Point Clearance Committee (SPCC) by creating an online web portal for grant of permission to civil agencies on Aerial Photographs / Remote Sensing Survey.
We as Sappers, have encouraged and nurtured the budding talent in sports and adventure and the personnel of the Corps have brought laurels by performing well at both national and international levels. In the year gone by, our sportsmen have won six Gold, four Silver and one Bronze Medals at the international level in sports like Boxing, Rowing, Acrobatics, Athletics, Lawn Tennis and even Iron Man competitions. Nb Sub Dattu Baban Bhokanal was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award for his outstanding performance in Rowing. Our sights are set high and more promising results are on the horizon.
I also take the opportunity to pay homage to all our martyrs of the Corps because of whom we walk tall today. Lastly, I call upon one and all to rededicate themselves, with renewed vigour and seamless synergy, as we are the architects of the future of the nation. Our efforts today shall shape the destiny of our Nation and stand as a beacon for the future generations to emulate.
I wish all the members of the Corps and their families the very best in all future endeavours.
Jai Hind !
