Meant for roads, schools, rural & border tourism
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 21: The Central Government has approved Rs 13,020 crore for the continuation of the Central sector umbrella scheme of Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) during the 15th Finance Commission cycle from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The decision will strengthen infrastructure for improving border management, policing and guarding, an official statement said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah is committed to improving border infrastructure and management, it said.
The BIM scheme will help in the creation of infrastructure such as border fence, border flood lights, technological solutions, border roads and border outposts (BOPs) and company operating bases to secure India’s borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.
India’s border with Pakistan is 3,323 km long, including about 775 km of the Line of Control. The length of border is 4,096 km with Bangladesh, 3,488 km with China, 1,751 km with Nepal, 699 km with Bhutan and 1,643 km with Myanmar.
Officials said as part of the strategy to secure the borders as also to create infrastructure in the border areas of the country, the Government has been taking many initiatives that include expeditious construction of fencing, floodlighting and roads along its borders with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, and construction of strategic roads along its borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan.
The Government has also deployed hi-tech electronic surveillance equipment on International Borders and constructed additional BOPs.
The projects are implemented in 111 border districts to meet special development needs of border population with focus on people living within 50 kilometers of the International Border.
The schemes include construction of roads, schools, primary health centres, promotion of rural tourism, border tourism, promotion of sports activities, cleanliness mission, protection of heritage sites, supply of drinking water, community centres, connectivity, drainage, to enable sustainable living in border areas, an official said.
Construction of helipads in remote and inaccessible hilly areas which do not have road connectivity, skill development training to farmers for the use of modern and scientific technique in farming and organic farming are some of the other areas where the projects are being implemented.
In Jammu, India shares International Border (IB) with Pakistan in three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua and Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
In the Union Territory of Ladakh, India shares Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and LoC with Pakistan.
During the financial year of 2020-21, the Central Government had earmarked highest Rs 651.76 crore worth funds for Indo-Bangladesh border under the BIM, Rs 237.93 crore for Indo-China border, Rs 20.38 crore for Indo-Myanmar and Rs 9.88 crore for Indo-Bhutan border.
The funding was Rs 351.89 crore for China border in 2019-20, Rs 996.53 crore for Bangladesh border, Rs 20 crore for Indo-Myanmar and Rs 10.31 crore for Indo-Bhutan border.
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