C'garh CM urges Rajnath to set up army base in Bilaspur early

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday urged the Ministry of Defence (MoD)to expedite the process of setting up the proposed Army cantonment in the Chakarbhata area of Bilaspur district in the state, an official said.

In a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday, Baghel said that once the facility is established, local youths will have easy access to job opportunities in defence services, and the military station would also help in the elimination of Naxal insurgency from the state, he said.

The chief minister said that around 1,000 acres of land have been allotted by the state government to the MoD for setting up an army cantonment in Bilaspur, but the process to establish it is still pending, the state's public relations department official said.

''Initially, the requirement of the airstrip was raised for setting up the army cantonment. Now the state government has completed the expansion of Chakarbhata airstrip and the DGCAhas also upgraded the license of the airport to 3C VFR (VisualFlight Rules) category (allowing the 72-seater flight to land there),'' Baghel said in the letter.

The airstrip is fully ready to meet the aviation-related requirements of commercial flight service as well as the military. The commercial flight services will begin atChakarbhata airport, which has been named Bilasa Bai KevtinAirport, from March 1, he said.

The state government is now keenly looking forward to the establishment of the army base in the area, he said.

The cantonment will not only speed up the development of surrounding areas but also provide easy job opportunities to local youth in defense services, he said.

''The presence of army Cantonment is also expected to be particularly helpful in the direction towards eliminating the Naxalism,'' he asserted.

Baghel requested the union minister to fast track the process of establishing the cantonment and assured to consider the other requirements of the MoD and the army in this direction, the official added.