NEW DELHI: The Armed forces plan to conduct several activities on May 3 as a mark of respect to the people involved in the fight against Corona Virus. The activities will include fly-past, band displays and warship deployment in the coastal areas without slackening the operations.
Speaking before the media on Friday, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said, “There are some special activities that the nation will get to witness. Air Force will conduct fly-past from Srinagar to Trivandrum and another one starting from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kutch in Gujarat.” Fly-past will include both transport and fighter aircraft which will also shower flower petals at some places.
The Army will also conduct mountain band displays along some of the Covid-19 hospitals in almost every district of the country. The armed forces will also lay wreathe at the police memorial on May 3 in support of the police forces.
The Navy will have its warships deployed in formations in coastal areas in the evening on May 3. Navy warships would also be lit up and their choppers would be used for showering petals on hospitals.
General Rawat thanked all Covid-19 warriors on behalf of armed forces. “Doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police, home guards, delivery boys and media which has been reaching out with the message of the government on how to carry on with lives in difficult times,” he said.
The plan of action as announced by General Rawat was finalised at the meeting earlier in the day presided over by the Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh with the three Service Chiefs, CDS and NSA.
Touching upon the issue of evacuation of Indians from the Gulf Countries Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said the ships are ready to leave for destinations. Talking about the evacuation, Air Chief Marshal RK Bhadauria said 28-30 aircraft are ready for evacuation.
The officers present in the conference affirmed that there has been no let-up in the operational activities and deployments, instead, there has been increase in anti-terrorist operations. Warships are deployed in Gulf of Aden, Strait of Hormuz and for coastal security.
Army Chief General Manoj M Naravane informed, “There has been an increase in numbers of people trying to cross the LoC and that is why the increase in the number of infiltration attempts. Counter-terrorist operations are continuing unabated amidst COVID19."