Jammu, Dec 30:
Taking time out from its busy schedule of safeguarding borders and continuous anti-insurgency operations, the Army has conducted over 900 civic action programmes across Jammu region this year with the focus on youth and poor population living in far flung areas. The Army is reaching out to the civilian population under operation ‘Sadhbavana’ (goodwill) and it had helped the force to build a strong bond with the residents of remote pockets who are facing lot of hardships due to lack of basic facilities, Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI. He said the youth-oriented programmes has touched the hearts and minds of the people as the Army is organizing free coaching classes to help them in their studies, skill development courses, pre-recruitment training and counselling camps and also engaging them in sports activities. “We have organised over 900 civic action programmes across Jammu region comprising 10 districts this year, benefiting thousands of people. “The major thrust is on poor population living in the hilly districts especially the youth besides the ex-servicemen who are being educated about the latest schemes being announced from time to time for their welfare and address their problems, the army officer said. He said this was in addition to the rescue missions undertaken by the force to help accidents victims and those stranded in inaccessible areas during snowfall.”Hundreds of people were rescued and some of them evacuated by choppers to save their lives in the recent past”. He said the Army has organised 104 medical and veterinary aid camps this year, providing free service to the needy at their door steps. Thousands of villagers, mostly nomadic shepherds who live in hilly areas, were provided solar lanterns, which brought smiles on their faces, the officer said. He said the Army has organised dozens of tuition classes for both boys and girls to help them in their studies besides 123 lecture classes and 78 awareness drives were held for the benefit of the youth who were also engaged in sports activities like cricket, football, volleyball and chess competitions. Last week, Lt Col Anand said said Army started tuition classes for children of rural areas in mountainous Ramban district with a twin objective to help poor students and generate employment for the educated youth. The three-month long tuition classes were started at different locations including Lower Gund, Cheril, Halemaidan, Batu, Karalchihal, Ukhral and Rajgarh areas, he said. “The aim of these classes is to impart quality education to children from rural areas who cannot afford private coaching. These classes are being conducted during winter vacations to ensure maximum attendance,” he said. He said more than 250 students would be accruing the benefits of quality coaching through this project which also generated employment for educated youths who have been hired as teachers for these coaching classes. The PRO said the Army gifted gymnasiums and other sports items and also constructed toilets at various educational institutions. Experts were engaged to deliver lectures on various important issues like women empowerment, health and hygiene, ill effects of drugs, water conservation, road safety, global warming, first aid and the need to maintain communal harmony, he said. He said various short-term courses in nursing, stitching and awareness drives on career opportunities for girls in armed forces were regularly held for the women. Over two dozen motivational drives were also undertaken to attract youth to take Army as profession while 37 communal harmony meetings were conducted to bring together various communities and maintain peace in the region, he added.
