Lieutenant Colonel Raghuvir Singh Bhandari (Retd.), the newly appointed Vice-Chairman of the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Advisory Committee, assumed office on Monday. Disaster Management Secretary Mr. Vinod Kumar Suman welcomed him on this occasion.
Upon assuming office, Lt. Col. Bhandari stated that his primary priority is to integrate the state’s ex-servicemen and retired personnel from paramilitary forces into the disaster management system. He noted that ex-servicemen are present in almost every village of the state, and their discipline, experience, and leadership capabilities could significantly strengthen disaster risk reduction, search and rescue operations, and community management. His goal is to develop an effective volunteer network extending from the state level down to the village level.
Lt. Col. Bhandari served in the Indian Army for 38 years and played an active role in significant operations such as Operation Pawan, Operation Meghdoot, and Operation Vijay. Even after retirement, he has been continuously working for the welfare of ex-servicemen. Secretary Mr. Vinod Kumar Suman expressed confidence that Lt. Col. Bhandari’s extensive military and administrative experience would bring new strength to Uttarakhand’s disaster management system, making the state more vigilant and resilient against disasters.
