Chief of Army Staff General Naravane dedicates memorial to honour Capt Manoj Pandey

Lucknow/ Sitapur, 19 March (HS) :Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane on Friday dedicated a memorial to Captain Manoj Pandey, Param Vir Chakra at his native village Rura in Sitapur district here.

The 1999 Kargil war saw the emergence of many heroes whose saga of valour and sacrifice have become engraved in the hearts and minds of the citizens of our country.

The memorial was constructed under aegis of Surya Command and was dedicated by General  MM Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) in presence of the family of Captain Manoj Pandey, Param Vir Chakra and senior Army officers, government officials and ex-servicemen.

 The memorial, in addition to paying respect to the ultimate sacrifice, is also meant to serve as an inspiration to the coming generations to emulate the young officer and in dedicating their lives in the service of our Nation.  During the interaction with local school children, a cheque of Rupees One Lakh was also presented to the Government Pre Secondary School of the village as a token of assistance.

Later, Gen MM Naravane visited Headquarters Central Command at Lucknow and was briefed by Lieutenant General IS Ghuman, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Central Command on the state of operational preparedness of the Central Army.  COAS expressed satisfaction on the efforts being made to ensure capability enhancement and operational effectiveness to meet all contemporary and emerging challenges, the vision enunciated by him as head of the organisation.

Mrs Veena Naravane, President Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) also accompanied the Chief of the Army Staff.  She visited Surya Army Pre Primary School, Army Public School, Nehru Road and Asha School.  She appreciated the efforts of the school in creating various facilities to include hydro, physio and audio therapies etc.