Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the cockpit of a Sukhoi fighter jet at Tezpur Air Force Station on Sunday.

Sitharaman, on her maiden visit to the Eastern Air Command, was briefed by General Officer Commanding, Gajraj Corps, Lt Gen. A.S. Bedi, on the security situation in Assam and the Kameng sector in Arunachal Pradesh. The minister assured the army of the Centre's resolve to give impetus to development of border areas. She also reviewed the operational readiness of the Tezpur airbase.

Sitharaman subsequently visited the Solmara military station in Tezpur where she interacted with officers and jawans over a cup of tea. She appreciated the high standards of military discipline and preparedness of armymen and their excellent performance in a challenging environment.

The minister was accompanied by Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen. Sarath Chand and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lt Gen. Abhay Krishna.

Text and picture by Pranab Kumar Das