Coming soon: MiG-21 to be installed in Jharkhand Raj Bhavan lawns in 3 months

With Jharkhand Raj Bhawan reopening its gardens for the common public from January 31 to February 7, the President of India and the state Governor decided to get MiG-21 installed here for the public to know more about the fighter aircraft that has been in IAF for almost six decades.

Ranchi (Jharkhand): Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Jharkhand Governor spread over an area of 62 acres has reopened its gardens for the public from January 31 to February 7. Themed on the British style of architecture, the current Raj Bhavan apart from having a wide array of seasonal flowers and rare species of trees and a T-55 tank is all set to get its first MiG 21 aircraft.

Rakesh Kumar, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the current Jharkhand Governor, Ramesh Bais, in a conversation with ETV Bharat on Wednesday said, "Public has always been very curious to see and learn about the Army tanks and fighter aircraft."

Keeping this in mind, the current Governor and the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, got a T-55 tank installed on the premises of Raj Bhavan. This tank, which served as an ally to the bravery and valor of the Indian Army, has become the center of attraction for the people here, he added.

On witnessing the enthusiasm of visitors to learn about the tanks and fighter planes that protect the nation, the President of India Droupadi Murmu and the Governor have decided to get a MiG-21 installed here. The fighter aircraft will be installed in the Raj Bhavan premises just diagonally opposite to the T-55 tank in the next three to four months, Rakesh said.

This will attract lakhs of footfalls not just from Ranchi but also from neighboring districts such as Hazaribag, Dhanbad, and Ramgarh among others, Rakesh added. The Mikoyan-Gurevich 21 (MiG-21) built in 1959 has been in Indian Air Force's service since 1963, longer than any other aircraft (almost six decades). The supersonic interceptor has served the nation in several battles.