Senior Defence officials including the Northern Army Commander will also accompany him. This will be the Defence Minister’s first visit to Ladakh since the faceoff with China commenced.
The Minister is likely to visit Atal Tunnel, previously known as Rohtang Tunnel, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This is a highway tunnel being built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway.
At 8.8 km length, the tunnel will be one of the longest road tunnels in the country and is expected to reduce the distance between Manali and Keylong by about 46 kilometres. The strategically important Manali-Leh highway is used by the Army to transport essential material to the soldiers deployed in the border areas of Ladakh.