Special Correspondent
CCS okays construction of 608 km of roads
NEW DELHI: The Government on Thursday cleared the construction of 608 km of roads along the Sino-Indian border at a cost of Rs. 992 crores. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"The CCS had one agenda and that was construction of roads on the Sino-Indian border. It had been suggested by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that it would take seven years to complete the project. But the CCS has directed it to complete the project within four to five years," said Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
A senior army officer described the decision as an indicator of the country coming out of the "defensive mindset" following peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for nearly two decades. India had consciously let the old roads fall into disuse and largely refrained from constructing new ones as it was apprehensive of China using them to quickly make deep inroads in the event of a military assault.
The BRO had initiated the exercise with a survey of the roads network along the LAC in view of the low density of roads in border regions as compared with the all India road density. Sources said a recently approved Rs. 550 crore fund for building roads to plug connectivity gaps on the Sino-Indian border over the next five to seven years would be subsumed in the project.
The intention, said Defence Ministry sources, is to ensure Indian troops also receive the same amenities as their counterparts across the border. At present, soldiers at several forward positions depend on supplies by animal transport and airdrops. None of this can be a round-the-year activity, especially during the rainy season. The roads would ensure that better building material would replace the accommodation at present afforded to soldiers. "It will be good for their morale especially when they see better buildings and border posts just across the border illuminated by bright lights," an army officer had earlier told The Hindu .
Special structural qualities
The BRO would initially focus on constructing roads in East and West Kamin and Siang districts. The bridges over the several rivulets would have special structural qualities including slots for placing explosives to destroy them should the need arise.
In addition to improving the living conditions of the troops and the general populace, the Army would also be able to quickly rush troops, should the need arise.
The Chinese intrusion in Asaphila in Arunachal Pradesh (which is not acknowledged by the Government) was facilitated by the slow response due to lack of roads, said the officer. In another area, Wangdung, Indian troops also reached late because of the difficulty of moving through a road-less terrain.
