2020 deadline fixed for completion
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 6: The Centre has approved Rs 3482.52 crore for completion of several strategic projects along Sino-Indian border, majority of which were pending for last 13 years, and set 2020 as deadline for their completion with more funds, if required, will be no bar.
Number of the strategic projects, approved by the Central Government, falls in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, where India shared Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in rugged mountains with no road link to majority of posts manned by Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) due to lack of interest on this front by the previous Governments.
The Central Government decision to approve full cost of around 73 strategic road projects along China border, spread over five States, comes close on the heels of tension between the two countries over Doklam issue though the matter was claimed to have been resolved by the two countries.
Official sources told the Excelsior that while approving Rs 3482.52 crore for 73 strategic projects, the Centre Government has set the deadline of 2020 for their completion. They said majority of these projects were likely to be executed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO), Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC).
The projects, approved by the Government of India, included roads connecting Indian side of LAC with towns and cities to help troops reach right up to their posts on the vehicles instead of trekking rugged mountains for several kilometers, which is the case at present in some of the areas.
“A large number of these road projects fall in Ladakh region,” sources pointed out and said the projects would cover all five States including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, which share 4000 kilometers LAC with China.
All these projects were initially conceived in 2005 during the tenure of UPA-I headed by Dr Manmohan Singh. The then Government had set deadline of 2012 for completion of all these projects. However, in the absence of funding, no headway was made in completion of the projects.
Sources said out of the 73 roads of strategic importance, 27 roads involving 804.32 km are being constructed by Ministry of Home Affairs in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh at an estimated cost of Rs 1,937 crore.
It was only after Narendra Modi Government took over in 2014 that priority was accorded to completion of these projects. Now, with the release of 3482.52 crore worth funds, the Centre has fixed 2020 deadline for completion of all these projects.
“The Government hopes to meet the deadline,” sources said.
The projects, according to sources, were aimed at strengthening Indian positions along LAC with China in all five States especially Ladakh region. Though no major incursions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China have been noticed in Ladakh region for past quite some time, the Indian Government now don’t want to take any chances and would like to strengthen infrastructure on its side of the LAC to boost morale of the troops.
China has build up massive infrastructure along their side of the LAC by connecting boundaries with India through not only road, but in some cases, also through rail network. India was now trying to match China in infrastructure development, sources said but added that this could take few more years and Indian preparations have started quite late.
Last year, then Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had laid foundation of survey work on linking Leh with train through Pathankot-Bilaspur-Manali rail track. However, sources admitted, that construction of the railway track could take a lot of time as it (the track) had to pass through mountainous areas.
In the recent past, the Government of India including the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs have taken series of initiatives to equip Army and ITBP with best possible facilities including the vehicles that could trek through the rugged mountains to help troops carry with goods with them.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her predecessors and Home Minister Rajnath Singh have repeatedly visited Ladakh including the forward post for regular reviews of the situation along China border.
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