Rajnath inaugurates infrastructure projects
As it has been observed regarding India’s latest infrastructure push along the China border and other remote areas, on October 12 defence minister Rajnath Singh will commit 75 projects worth Rs2236 crore to the country, adding up to roads and bridges that will significantly encourage military mobility and logistics support for deployed forces in in areas like Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, the officials knows about this matter said this on Wednesday.
The development approached despite China’s insistent infrastructure stress along the India border during the last five years.
On October 11-12 Singh is visiting Sikkim to inaugurate the strategic Kupup- Sherathang road and doing a virtual inauguration to the remaining 74 projects adding up to a few in West Bengal, Nagaland, Mizoram, Rajasthan and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The officials said that this will now direct the attention towards the count of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) infrastructure projects committed to the country this year to 111 at a total cost of Rs 3751 crore.
The minister will expend Dussehra with frontline soldiers safeguarding the mountain frontier along with neighbour, in which Indian and Chinese soldiers have been entangled in faceoffs, as well as handle the Army Commanders’ conference in Gangtok on October 11, it’s the first time the important meeting is being held near the China border.
Picture credit: Hindustan Times
This was widely attractive as the military standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh has proceeded towards its fifth year, with no indication of a resolution to the enormous problems along the contested lines of Actual Control (LAC). India is in the hope that the ongoing negotiations with China will help restore the status quo of April 2020.
Projects under BRO
Sing will open 22 roads, 51 bridges and other projects built by BRO under challenging situations, which also includes weather and terrain, this was said by one of the officials.
When asked for the brief information regarding the figures he stated that 19 of the projects were in J&K, 11 in Ladakh, 18 in Arunachal Pradesh, nine in Uttarakhand, six in Sikkim, five in Himachal Pradesh, two each inWest Bengal and Rajasthan, and one each in Nagaland, Mizoram and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In March the Sela tunnel opened by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is among the 111 projects completed this year. The Sela tunnel that was constructed by BRO at a cost of rs825 crore, has kept military mobility and logistic guide for forward deployed forces in the strategic Tawang sector, where Indian soldiers keep posts close to the contested border with China. It is viewed to be the longest twin- lane tunnel with a height of more than 13000 feet.
Last year, 125 BRO projects worth rs 3611 crore were committed to the nation, encouraging India’s defence preparedness against its adversaries on the northern and western fronts.
BRO is at the middle of India’s infrastructure push, has concluded 450 infrastructure projects worth rs 16000 crore in the last five years, this was as per the final data from the defence ministry. This project adds up to new roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields and helipads.
Picture credit: Odisha Bytes
As things go, China grabs an edge over India border infrastructure but the country is on the quickest way to cover the gaps, and the progress is being addressed at the highest levels of the government.
More connectivity in forward areas will not only have a fast bearing on military mobility and logistics guide, but also the movement of civilians in border states.
India stands behind China in terms of border infrastructure but the country is grabbing up quick on the back of speedy execution of strategic projects to guide military activities, more spending and adoption of technology and techniques to bridge the gaps that came into focus after the standoff with China began in April – May 2020.
Completing the first leg of the Army Commanders’ conference at a location in Sikkim highlights the Indian Army’s attention on ground realities, on Wednesday in a statement the army said that, a masked reference to the ongoing tensions with China in the Ladakh theatre.
The army stated that the two day conference will proceed as a forum for experienced senior commanders to reiterate the current situation of operational preparedness, and underline the future directives. Discussions will emphasize on critical national security problems and strategic aspects concentrated at sharpening the army’s war fighting capabilities.
