Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur met Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh at New Delhi on Saturday and congratulated him upon assuming the charge of Defence Ministry.While discussing various issues pertaining to Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur requested to grant one Himalayan Regiment in the army for the state. He said that valour of soldiers and officers of Himachal Pradesh is known across the country and a large numbers of Himachali youth are serving in the army.The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister for construction of proposed airport in Mandi district. He said that keeping in view of its strategic location, the airport can prove very helpful for defence purpose. He informed that survey work has been done for the airport and requested for speedy completion of rest of the formalities.Rajnath Singh thanked the Chief Minister for the good wishes and assured to look into the issues discussed.Chief Secretary B K Agarwal was also present in the meeting.