Project Vijayak Begins 16th Raising Day Celebrations With Motorcycle Rally

Project Vijayak of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Sunday began its 16th Raising Day celebrations with a motorcycle rally from its memorial in Kargil to Sapi La Pass in Ladakh, an official said.

The rally, comprising 51 participants, was flagged off by retired Colonel V K Oberoi from the Project Vijayak Memorial. It covered around 54 kilometres and culminated at Sapi La, located at an altitude of 14,337 feet.

The event was attended by Deputy General Officer Commanding, 8 Mountain Division, Brigadier Sarit Prakash; Chief Engineer, Project Vijayak, Brigadier Rahul Oberoi; Commander, 121 Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Ashish Joshi; and officers and personnel from the Army, BRO’s Project Vijayak and civilian participants.

Brigadier Rahul Oberoi said Project Vijayak was raised on September 21, 2010, following recommendations of the Kargil War Review Committee, with the objective of improving connectivity across Ladakh, particularly to forward areas and strategic posts.

Over the years, the project has made significant contributions to strengthening the region’s road infrastructure. Several roads have been widened and upgraded from single-lane to double-lane standards, while new roads have been constructed to improve access to forward locations.

Oberoi also said National Highway specifications and standards in the region have been considerably improved, with several tunnel projects currently underway.

As part of its annual Raising Day tradition, Project Vijayak organises motorcycle rallies to remember and honour personnel who made the supreme sacrifice while serving the nation and developing critical infrastructure in the challenging Himalayan terrain.

Last year’s rally travelled to the Kargil War Memorial at Drass. This year, participants travelled to Sapi La Pass, an important route maintained by Project Vijayak in Western Ladakh and the Siachen sector.

The celebrations will culminate in the 16th Raising Day on September 21.