Kathmandu, Sept. 8: General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army concluded a successful and productive five day visit to Nepal, which was undertaken on the invitation of the Nepali Army. 

General Manoj Pande on 7 September visited the Indian Pension Paying Office at Pokhara. There he addressed an Gorkha Ex-servicemen of the Indian army and felicitated Gallantry Awardees. Mrs Archana Pande also felicitated the Veer Naris present for the occasion. He lauded the bravery of the Gorkha Soldiers and saluted their courage and dedicated service. Earlier in the day, General Manoj Pande also visited Nepali Army Mid Command headquarters at Pokhara and interacted with the staff there. 

  The Chief of Army Staff also handed over three ambulances (Mobile Medical Units) to the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics in Nepal. The ambulances would be able to provide doorstep healthcare services to more than three lakh Indian Army veterans and their families in Nepal and would be especially beneficial for those residing in remote areas of Nepal. 

  Previously, General Pande was conferred with the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by President of Nepal Smt. Bidya Devi Bhandari. Apart from meeting his counterpart General Prabhu Ram Sharma, Chief of Army Staff of Nepali Army and Honorary General of the Indian Army, General Pande also called on the President, the Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. He also addressed student officers at the Army Command and Staff College.  

 As part of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, General Pande presented training equipment, including simulators and light vehicles, to the Nepali Army.