The Centre has increased the budget for road construction and fencing on Indo-Pak border by nearly 300 per cent, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
“Along Indo-Pakistan border, the government has approved revision of cost estimates in fencing, floodlighting, roads and Border Outposts works from the earlier sanctioned Rs 380 crore to Rs 1,201 crore,” Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said in a written reply.
The Minister said 1,915 km of fencing and 1,861 km of floodlighting works have been completed on the Indo-Pakistan border out of 2,043 km of fencing and 2,009 km of floodlighting sanctioned by the government.
“Out of 340 km of border roads sanctioned by the government in Gujarat sector on the Indo-Pakistan border, the construction works of 219 km of border roads have been completed,” he said.
The strengthening of infrastructure on the India-Bangladesh border is also on the anvil with nearly 150 per cent hike in the budget to improve fencing, floodlights and roads.
“The government has approved the revision of targets of fencing and road works along India-Bangladesh border from earlier sanctioned works of 2,429 km for fencing and 797 km of roads to 2,579 km and 1,422 km respectively under phase-2,” he said.
The Minister said revised cost on account of revision in the targets of fencing and roads is Rs 4393.67 crore against earlier sanctioned cost estimates of Rs 2876.17 crore.
“Out of 3,436 km of fencing and 4,326 km of border roads sanctioned by the Government on Indo-Bangladesh border, the construction work of 2,677 km of fencing and 3,330 km of border roads has been completed,” he said.
Ramachandran said 277 km of floodlighting works have also been completed in West Bengal as a pilot project.
“Further the government has decided to undertake floodlighting in 2,840 km along the border,” he said.
