Lieut Gen Balwant Singh Negi, Army Commander, Central Command, with fellow officers, after witnessing an exercise at Purkazi, near Roorkee, on Wednesday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 2

Lieut Gen Balwant Singh Negi, Army Commander, Central Command, visited formations of Central Command at Roorkee and Raiwala today and witnessed combat engineering training undertaken by Surya Combat Sapper Formation at Purkazi.Lieut Gen Negi reviewed the collective training wherein all combat Sapper specialist units train together to hone their skills by physical execution on ground. He witnessed the complete range of multi-faceted training of mechanical mine breaching using trawl tanks, mechanical dry launch and wet bridging capable of sustained tank traffic and associated myriad activities.Lieut Gen Negi stressed the need to maintain the highest standards of operational preparedness. He commended the Sappers for their ‘josh’ and ‘hard work’ and exhorted them to uphold the glory of the Indian Army.At Roorkee, Lieut Gen Negi visited the Bengal Engineer Group and Centre where he was briefed about training activities, welfare measures for veterans and coordination and liaison of the centre with the civil authorities for internal security duty, including flood relief and response to anti-national elements. He held a windshield tour of the centre and saw the training infrastructure. He appreciated the modern infrastructure of the Hajipir Auditorium, Sainik Institute and the automated cook house for recruits at the centre.At the Raiwala military station, Lieut Gen Negi visited the Army formation. He was briefed on all aspects of operational readiness, training and welfare. He appreciated the cleanliness drive undertaken as part of the ‘Swachh Bharat campaign, yoga training for Army personnel in cooperation with Dev Sanskriti University and the efforts of the formation towards welfare of the veterans and veer naris in the region.Lieut Gen Negi also carried out an aerial reconnaissance of the areas of western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.