Shimla: Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday stated in the state assembly that the Army Training Command (Artrac) in Shimla was established considering strategic and security importance and the state government would make efforts to ensure that it was not shifted out of Shimla and the matter would be taken up with the government of India. He said that if required the issue would be raised before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Replying to the issue raised by leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, he said that a written request would also be made to the Union ministry of defence to not shift Artrac from here. He said that so far there was no such official information about the shifting of Artrac from Shimla but even then the matter was serious. He said that after a report on the shifting appeared in a section of media, some ex-servicemen of the state had met him on this.Thakur further said that already the matter related to the merger of the SJVN with NTPC had been taken up with the Prime Minister and the state had registered its objection to the merger.Earlier, the issue of shifting big establishments and mergers echoed in the state assembly with Agnihotri raising the issue under rule 62 and demanding discussion on it. He said that ARTRAC having strategic and historical importance was being shifted from Shimla to Ambala. He said that the state government should take up this matter with the government of India as shifting would be a great loss to the state. He said that there were reports that in six months the shifting could take place.He also objected to the proposal of government of India to merge SJVN with NTPC, terming it against the interest of Himachal Pradesh and also demanded to stop this process.

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