Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh dedicated to the nation 75 infrastructure projects built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO)at a function organised at D-S-DBO road in Ladakh on October 28, 2022. These 75 projects – 45 bridges, 27 roads, two Helipads &one Carbon Neutral Habitat– are spread across six states & two Union Territories (UTs). Twenty (20) of these projects are in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K); 18 each in Ladakh& Arunachal Pradesh; five in Uttarakhand and 14 in other border states of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab &Rajasthan.
These strategically important projects have been constructed at a total cost of Rs 2,180 crore by the BRO in record time, many of which have been completed in a single working season using state-of-the-art technology. Appreciating the grit and determination of BRO for achieving the feat despite challenging weather conditions, the Raksha Mantri pointed out that the projects will bolster the country’s defence preparedness & ensure economic development of border areas.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajnath Singh reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensure the progress of far-flung areas to fulfil the security needs of the country, stressing that infrastructure development, along with the valour of the Armed Forces, was the main reason that helped India to effectively deal with the recent situation in the northern sector. He termed the new 75 projects as a testament to that resolve and said that these bridges, roads & helipads will facilitate military and civil transport in far-flung areas of the western, northern and north-eastern parts of the country, forming a part of development chain. He described connectivity with border areas as one of the focus areas of the Government for the holistic development of the nation.
“Lack of infrastructure development in J&K for decades post independence was one of the reasons behind the rise of terrorism in the UT. These internal disturbances resulted in significant decline in tourist footfall that impacted Ladakh also, as well as the entire nation. Now, due to the Government’s efforts, the region is witnessing a new dawn of peace& progress. Our aim is to continue with the development of all states/UTs of the country. Soon, all the remote areas will be connected with the rest of the country and together we will take the nation to newer heights of progress. BRO has a crucial role in achieving this objective,” Rajnath Singh said.
