Delhi: Kandhamal MP Dr. Achyuta Samanta has demanded for setting up of a regiment in the Indian Army in the name of ‘Kalinga Regiment’. In this regard he met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday in Delhi and handed over a memorandum.
Last year on Deember 2 Dr Samanta had demanded for setting up of Kalinga regiment in the Lok Sabha.
The raising of a regiment named after the state’s ancient name has been a long-standing demand.
Kalinga is the ancient name of the State of Odisha. The demand was to set up a regiment in the Indian Army in the name of Kalinga regiment to recall the past glory of the State.
This is not for the first time that the demand for Kalinga regiment has been raised. The same has been demanded earlier by the Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik.
Setting up of the regiment can be an honour for the great sacrifices and services that Odia jawans have rendered as Army personnel.
“I have high hope that the Defense Minister Rajanath Singh will take necessary actions to fulfill this demand,” Dr. Samanta opined.
Similarly, Dr. Samanta also requested Singh to establish a Sainik School in Kandhamal. He also handed over a memorandum on this.
After the visit Dr. Samanta told to media persons, “Kandhamal is well communicated through rail and air with rest of the country via Bhubaneswar. Hence, setting up of a Sainik School here will provide a chance to students from any part of the country to join. Besides, since Kandhamal is a tribal dominated district, it is also Mao-prone. So, with establishment of the Sainik School, not only tribal students will be benefited, but it will also demoralize Maoists.”
Answering Dr. Samanta, the Union Defence Minister said that once the proposal comes officially from the Odisha government, the Defence Ministry will think over it.
Prasanta Patnaik