Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 21 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday expressed deep grief over the death of Agniveer Naveen Kumar in an unfortunate incident of landslide in Kargil area of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
He belonged to the Thural area of the Sulah assembly constituency in Kangra district.
The Chief Minister prayed to the Almighty to give peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members.
In a post on X, CM Sukhu wrote, "The news of martyrdom of Agniveer Naveen Kumar ji, a resident of Halun village of Kangra district, after being caught in a landslide while on duty in Drass Sector of Kargil is extremely sad. His unforgettable contribution to the country's service will always be remembered."
"I pray to God to give place to the departed soul in his feet and provide patience and strength to the bereaved family in this hour of grief. My condolences are with the bereaved family," he added.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also paid rich tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary in Shimla. He garlanded the statue of Rajiv Gandhi at Sadbhawana Chowk, Chhota Shimla.
Sukhvinder Singh said, "Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of this country. Whenever there was a crisis in the country, Rajiv Gandhi never stepped back from making sacrifices. Today's 21st century India, the India of information revolution and digital revolution, was imagined by Rajiv Gandhi 40 years ago... The digital age started with his thinking, and the benefits we are getting today. Rajiv Gandhi was the thinking of the youth of this country, and today we are getting the benefits of his thinking..."
The Chief Minister also stated, "The present state government was committed to realising the vision of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi in the state to uplift the weaker and marginal sections of the society".
Recalling his immense contributions, he said that Rajiv Gandhi laid his life for the unity and integrity of the country and laid the groundwork for several transforming initiatives that propelled the progress and prosperity of the Nation"Sukhvinder Singh said that the present state government has introduced the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School Yojna to improve education standards.
He said that in each assembly constituency, these schools were being established with modern facilities and other infrastructure to benefit the students residing in the rural areas of the State. He also said the state government was implementing the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojna, where youths would be provided loans to start their avocations.
Under the Scheme, unemployed youth were also offered a 50 per cent subsidy for purchasing e-taxis. The Chief Minister also administered a pledge of national unity and integration.
Later, he also paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi at HP Secretariat and administered the oath of Anti-Terrorism Day to the officers and officials on the occasion.