New Delhi (India), September 26 (ANI): Military Engineer Services played a key role in creating and modifying structures to be used as COVID care facilities across the military stations in the country and ensured uninterrupted essential services for defence personnel during the times of pandemic, said Indian Army officials.

The MES completed 99 years in services, which was established in 1923. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also congratulated the organisation for the completion of 99 years in service. He tweeted, "Greetings to the Military Engineer Services (MES) personnel and their families on the occasion of their 99th Raising Day. The MES provides rear line engineering support to the Armed Forces. Their contribution in building and safeguarding the nation is highly appreciable."The MES is a construction agency of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army which provides rear line engineering support to the Armed Forces and associated organisations of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It is one of the largest construction and maintenance agencies in India with a total annual workload to the tune of approximately Rs 30,000 crore.

"This year the world witnessed an unprecedented crisis in terms of COVID-19 affecting the construction industry and the MES was also not left untouched. However laudatory efforts put in by the MES ensured 'Uninterrupted Essential Services' in all military stations. The MES has also played a key role in creating and modifying existing assets into COVID care facilities across the country in the stipulated timeframe," senior Indian Army officials said.

A multispecialty hospital constructed by the MES in Pune providing state of the art medical facilities has been inaugurated in January this year, they said.

Officials said the MES has also been working to ensure overall fiscal prudence and reducing electricity tariff by adopting Solar Power projects, "LED-isation and GRIHA green building norms, MES is totally committed towards energy conservation and eco-system preservation. A major drive has also been undertaken to automate various functions of the MES which will not only cut down the time delays, but also transform works environment by unlocking latent productivity, foster transparency and efficiency," the officials said.

Celebrating its 99th Military Engineer Services Raising Day on Sunday, Engineer-in-Chief Lt Gen Harpal Singh, congratulated all the Military Engineer Services personnel. (ANI)