Tribune News Service

Dehradun, Decmeber 12

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said though they wanted peace, at the same time if somebody was harming the country, then the Army was capable of giving a befitting reply.Addressing a rally today, Parrikar said he was pained by the loss of the soldiers, “Sacrifice is always respected, but the destruction of terrorists and taking life of the enemy of the country is far greater,” he said.He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him the responsibility to strengthen the Army, “I have been successful in that,” he said.Parrikar also said Uttarakhand was among the few states whose contribution in sending its sons to the Army was immense.Lauding his government’s efforts in settling the issue of one-rank one pension that was languishing for the last 40 years, Parrikar said, “We have been successful in resolving the issue and in the next two months, all problems will be resolved,” he said.He also said the Central Government was also contemplating giving more relaxation to the youth of Uttarakhand seeking a career in the Army.