Border Area Development Project is the Centrally sponsored project which has not only relevance but significance also for the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Our borders meet with China to the east and Pakistan to the west. Both of these countries are hostile to us. In fact they have formed a nexus and work in close tandem to thwart our development and security plans. Be it the Line of Actual Control or the Line of Control, we are lacking the momentum and the speed with which we need to execute our border development schemes. The disturbing fact is that China is building up the border on its side with rapidity and has already fully strengthened its security position. But we lack the speed and our task is drastically slowed down owing to lack of adequate engineering staff to execute the work. Two agencies are entrusted with the border development, namely PWD and Rural Development. Both of these agencies are short of technical staff. More often, the work is carried out on piecemeal basis which is not at all to be accepted as progress. We cannot match the strength and speed with which China is developing its part of the border.
The need is that the executing agencies are provided with adequate staff and funds without a break. In most of the developmental schemes in Ladakh, the general complaint of the people has been that schemes are taken up but left halfway and in this way, entire development scheme in Ladakh is faced with retardation. We should understand that from military and security point of view development of the infrastructure and other pre-requisites cannot be delayed any more. This is also the view of military experts and Army Generals. We, therefore, suggest that the State Government enter into talks with the Defence Ministry of how the border areas can be develop expeditiously and if it is felt that adequate engineering staff is needed, the Government can requisition the services of engineers from outside the State. Delaying the development of Ladakh is inadvisable from any point of view.
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