Itanagar, Mar 25 (PTI) A motorcycle expedition, undertaken by the IAF to motivate the youth of the Northeast to join the armed forces, began the Arunachal Pradesh leg on Tuesday.

The 12-day expedition, 'Wings and Wheels: Glorious IAF and Magnificent North East', was flagged off from Bagdogra in West Bengal on March 18.

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Led by Group Captain Avinash Bhardwaj, the team comprises 27 motorcyclists, including 15 Air Force personnel.

It has covered 2,880 km so far, and from Itanagar, it will proceed to Pasighat and Ziro, before travelling to Jorhat and Diphu in Assam, and Shillong in Meghalaya.

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The expedition has been organised by the Shillong-based Eastern Air Command.

A programme was held at the Raj Bhavan here, in which Governor KT Parnaik ceremonially flagged off the Arunachal Pradesh leg of the expedition.

Noting Arunachal Pradesh's diverse cultural heritage, Parnaik said the state, home to numerous indigenous tribes, boasts a pristine natural environment and abundant resources.

The programme was attended by Air Vice Marshal HA Rather, Air Commodore Tarun Desai, and Air Commodore (Retd) R D Mosabi, the director-cum-secretary of Rajya Sainik Board.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)