Srinagar, Apr 13 (PTI) Indian Army has helped Simari, a village along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Karnah sector, get fully electrified and LPG-enabled, a defence spokesperson said.

The village, one half of which lies in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, holds deep strategic and democratic importance as India’s polling booth number 1.

“In a powerful example of inclusive development and national service, Simari, a border village in Karnah Valley, Jammu and Kashmir, has been fully electrified and LPG-enabled through a joint initiative of the Indian Army’s Vajr Division and Aseem Foundation, under the aegis of Chinar Corps,” the defence spokesperson said.

“Until now, the villagers struggled with limited power and primitive cooking facilities,” he said, adding that the project has transformed 53 households with solar microgrids and clean cooking LPG kits, significantly improving the quality of life of the villagers.

The initiative is dedicated to the memory of Colonel Santosh Mahadik, a Shaurya Chakra awardee who laid down his life in service of the nation, the spokesperson said.

In a solemn tribute, Colonel Mahadik’s mother Kalinda Mahadik, Commander of the Tangdhar Brigade, and founder and managing director of Aseem Foundation Sarang Gosavi will jointly inaugurate the solar electrification system in Simari on Monday, he said. PTI MIJ RUK RUK