For the Indian military, the disaster of 1962 did not end with the humiliation by China in the war. In a strategic blunder thereafter, the government decided not to develop its infrastructure along the China border. It took more than four decades for the decision to be reversed.
In 2007, the government decided to aggressively develop infrastructure along the border with China, in a late and desperate measure to catch up. A CAG report tabled in Parliament on Friday, however, has burst the myth about the ambitious catch up, painting a picture of targets not met and huge cost escalations.
Of the 61 India-China Border Roads scheduled to be completed by 2012, only 22 had been completed as late as March 2016 with massive cost overruns.
“All 61 India China Border Roads (ICBR) included in Border Roads Development Board (BRDB) programme were planned to be completed by 2012. However, only 15 roads had been completed by 2012. Out of the balance 46 roads, only 7 roads were completed by March 2016, extending the Planned Date of Completion (PDC) of balance roads up to the year 2021,” the CAG report said.
This means 22 roads or 36% had only been completed up to March 2016 despite incurring an expenditure of ₹4536 crore or 98% against the estimated cost of ₹4644 crore for 61 ICBRs, the report observed.
Shoddy job
Further, the CAG selected 24 roads for the audit of which only four roads had been completed by March 2012 and two roads between March 2012 and March 2016. The report also noted “numerous instances” of defective construction of roads.
In the aftermath of the brief but bloody border war with China in 1962, India had maintained a policy to not build border roads reasoning that they could be used by the Chinese forces to make quick inroads. However the policy was reversed by a high level China Study Group and the Government had identified the construction of 73 strategically important roads to improve connectivity.
Of these, the 61 roads having a length of 3409.27 km were entrusted to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to be completed by 2012 and the balance 12 roads were entrusted to other agencies like Central Public Works Department, NBCC and State Public Works Departments among others.
These roads are critical for the Indian Army to quickly mobilise men and equipment to remote posts in the high altitude region.
