Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday visited the China LAC guarding troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Uttarakhand, officials said.
The minister, accompanied ITBP Director General S S Deswal and other senior officers, reached the Nelong valley in the state onboard a military helicopter.
He is expected to stay at one of the border posts where troops are deployed at heights ranging over 12,500 feet.
The minister, officials said, spoke to the troops and said they are rendering "dedicated service to the nation in harsh terrain and climatic conditions."
Rijiju is on a two-day visit of the state and he is expected to inaugurate a Water Sports and Adventure Institute (WSAI) in the Tehri Garhwal district along with Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Friday, officials said.
"The institute is an exclusive arrangement by the ITBP in association with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB). The force will be running the institute for the next 20 years and will train force personnel as well as those from other central armed police forces (CAPFs), sister organisations and also select youngsters," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said.
"It is a first-of-its-kind Institute in the country where training of aero, water and land related sports and adventure sports will be given and training of kayaking, rowing, canoeing, water skiing, paragliding, parasailing, scuba diving, paddle boating, speed boating, kite surfing, jet skiing will be imparted," he added.
The about 90,000 personnel strong ITBP is primarily tasked to guard the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country.
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