Air Force (IAF) Chief R.K.S Bhadauria on Friday met Ladakh's Lieutenant Governor R.K. Mathur and reassured him of the service's commitment to humanitarian assistance tasks in the union territory. "CAS (Chief of Air Staff) called on the Honourable Lieutenant Governor, union territory (UT) of Ladakh during his visit to Leh today. CAS acknowledged the support by the UT of Ladakh for IAF's capability enhancement in Ladakh sector and reaffirmed IAF's commitment to fulfilling nation building and humanitarian assistance tasks in the UT," the IAF said on Twitter.
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The CAS took stock of the operational readiness and status of units deployed in and around Leh, it said. He also interacted with the officers and personnel at the base, it noted.
Earlier during the day, the office of Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh had tweeted that the IAF plays a pivotal role in medical evacuations from Leh, Ladakh and Kargil to other parts of the country when urgent treatment is required.
During the meeting on Friday with the CAS, Mathur appreciated the IAF for evacuation of pilgrims and locals during the pandemic last year, the office added.
It has been more than a year since the military standoff between India and China erupted in eastern Ladakh on May 5 during which there were fatalities on both sides for the first time in 45 years. They have made limited progress in achieving disengagement at the Pangong lake area while negotiations for similar steps at other points remain deadlocked.
