Thaindian News

Lucknow, Nov 8 (IANS) A new housing complex for Indian Army personnel, comprising 570 dwelling units, was opened at the cantonment area here Tuesday, a statement said.

Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, who was here on an official visit, inaugurated the complex named ‘Rajeev Sandhu Vihar’, with 70 houses for junior commissioned officers and another 500 for other ranks, spread over an area of 38.1 acres.

“The colony is augmented with environment-friendly building with features like rainwater harvesting, arboriculture and landscaped open spaces. Modular sewage treatment plant with provisions for recycling used water for gardening, and energy efficient lighting have also been co-opted in the housing complex,” a defence ministry release said.

Earlier, Central Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lt. Gen. V.K. Ahluwalia received the minister at the complex and said the dwelling units would “go a long way” in fulfilling the efforts to provide quality housing to the troops.

The complex has been named in the memory of Second Lieutenant Rajeev Sandhu of 7 Assam Regiment, who was posthumously awarded Mahavir Chakra, the country’s second highest gallantry medal, in 1990 for his act of bravery during ‘Operation Pawan’ in Sri Lanka while fighting Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The project is part of the defence minister’s Married Accomodation Project (MAP), the largest residential project in the world with a mandate to construct about two lakh dwelling units for the armed forces all over India in three phases.