Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has raised concerns over the recruitable male population (RMP) quota policy of the Armed Forces, which he says, is ?not in consonance with the caliber of youth of the hill state?.
The chief minister first raised the issue before the visiting Chief of Army, General Deepak Kapoor, who visited Himachal Pradesh on May 15 and suggested that Anand Sharma, who has been inducted in union Cabinet from Himachal Pradesh, should take up this issue. He said, ?The recruitable male population quota clause needs to be amended to permit entry of more eligible youths into different wings of the armed forces.?
It is worth mentioning that the hill state has repeatedly raised the demand for raising a separate Himalayan regiment comprising the youth belonging to the Himalayan states, especially, Himachal Pradesh. The state has also been pressing to connect the national borders with all weather railway line, especially extending the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Berirailway line up to Leh in the Laddakh region passing through Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Keylong, to carry men and material conveniently.
The state government raised the issue during the Civil Military Liaison Conference held in New Delhi recently.
The CM said that since Anand Sharma hailed from Himachal, he should raise this security issue and press the Centre to upgrade the communication network in the border area.
Dhumal said that the youth of the state had been contributing significantly towards the cause of the nation.
He said that soldiers from Himachal Pradesh brought laurels to the nation and the state by winning a large number of top medals like Param Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra.
Congratulating Anand Sharma, Dhumal said that with the bagging of a cabinet berth by a Himachal resident, the people of the hill state were hoping to get their legitimate concerns addressed without much ado.