SRINAGAR: In a poignant blend of national service and grassroots transformation, Simari, a remote border village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Karnah Valley, was fully electrified and equipped with clean cooking facilities on Monday. The initiative, spearheaded by the Indian Army’s Vajr Division and the Pune-based Aseem Foundation under the aegis of Chinar Corps, marks a historic milestone for the strategically located settlement along the Line of Control (LoC).
Chinar Corps, in conjunction with NGO Aseem Foundation has established a Solar Power Project for the households of remote border village Simari in Karnah valley of Kupwara district. Along with electrification, households received LPG connections, promoting clean cooking and… pic.twitter.com/jZtsbJ0h1N
— Chinar Corps🍁 – Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) April 14, 2025
Divided by the Line of Control, with one half of it lying in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Simari holds symbolic significance as India’s Polling Booth No. 1 — a site where democracy quite literally begins at the frontier. Until recently, however, its 53 households struggled in darkness and relied on primitive cooking methods, isolated not just by terrain but also by lack of infrastructure.
That reality has now changed.
In a transformative intervention, solar microgrids have been installed to power homes, and LPG-based clean cooking kits distributed to each household, lifting Simari into a new era of dignity, health, and connectivity.
The initiative was solemnly dedicated to the memory of Colonel Santosh Mahadik, Shaurya Chakra, Sena Medal, who laid down his life in service of the nation. At an emotionally charged inauguration ceremony on April 14, his mother, Mrs Kalinda Mahadik, along with the Commander of the Tangdhar Brigade and Sarang Gosavi, Founder and Managing Director of Aseem Foundation, jointly commissioned the electrification system.
Hundreds of residents, including women, children, village elders, and civil dignitaries, gathered to witness the event — a powerful moment not only of remembrance but of hope.
A defence spokesperson called it “a powerful example of inclusive development and national service,” noting that it aligns with the Government of India’s Vibrant Villages Programme. “Simari has always stood tall as a symbol of India’s democratic resolve,” he said. “Now, it stands illuminated — both literally and figuratively.”
Drastically improving quality of life, the project reflects the Indian Army’s evolving role as not just guardians of the frontier, but active enablers of progress in the remotest reaches of the country.
“This initiative reinforces the Army’s role not just as defenders of the nation, but as partners in progress — bringing light, dignity, and opportunity to even the most distant frontiers of India,” said an official statement by the Chinar Corps.
The Aseem Foundation, which has long worked to bridge urban-rural divides through education, energy, and entrepreneurship, termed the project a “sacred collaboration” between defence and development.
With electrification, clean cooking, and the memory of a soldier now woven into the village’s identity, Simari has become more than a settlement on the edge of a border.
