Netarhat Field Firing Range to be closed soon:Defence Minister

In deference to a long-pending demand of local tribals, the Government will soon close down the Field Firing Range at Netarhat in Jharkhand.

The assurance was given today by Defence Minister A K Antony to Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narain Chaudhary, when he led a four-member delegation from Jharkhand to raise the demand.

"The Defence Minister has given an assurance that the Field Firing Range will be closed down soon,"a Bihar government press release said.

Demand for its closure has been made by the people of the tribal-dominated area as tribes like Asur and Birhore as also wildlife were leaving the area in search of safer habitations.

The delegation also demanded that the area be declared a reserved forest.link

Bihar objects to shifting of Gaya military centre to Karnataka

Strongly opposing any move to shift the military centre from Gaya in Bihar to Karnataka, Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narain Chaudhary today said the state, sharing international border with Nepal and Bangladesh, needed more such units.

During a meeting with Defence Minister A K Antony here, the Speaker said that after its bifurcation, the state was left with only two military centres at Gaya and Danapur, near Patna, a Bihar government press release said.

" This is negligible from the point of view of Bihar&aposs location and Naxal problem,"he said, adding that there was no justification behind shifting the Gaya centre to Karnataka, where seven such units already exist.

He said the Gaya centre offered employment to youth from 19 neighbouring districts.

"Hence, the Gaya centre should not be shifted. Rather, new units should be opened,"he said.link