First Pakistan and now China is creating dispute on the border under a mission, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday after inaugurating 44 permanent bridges across seven States and Union Territories built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Talking of the situation along the northern and eastern borders, Mr. Singh said, “We have a border of about 7,000 km with these countries, where tension remains.” He also laid the foundation stone for the Nechiphu tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh.
Mr. Singh said these bridges provide improved connectivity in the far-flung areas of the western, northern and the northeast sectors and also meet the transport and logistics requirements of the armed forces throughout the year.
He said the annual budget of the BRO that varied from ₹3,300 crore to ₹4,600 crore in years 2008-2016, saw a substantial rise and is pegged at over ₹11,000 crore in 2020-21. He said the government has sanctioned high-altitude clothing to the BRO engineers and workers.
The bridges range from 30m to 484m and are located in J&K (10), Ladakh (8), Himachal Pradesh (2), Punjab (4), Uttarakhand (8), Arunachal Pradesh (8) and Sikkim (4). The 450m-long, bi-lane tunnel once completed would ensure all-weather connectivity across the Nechiphu Pass besides providing a safe and secure passage through accident-prone areas.
Lt. Gen. Harpal Singh, Director General BRO, said construction of 28 major bridges was completed while 102 more major bridges are being completed this year of which 54 have already been completed.
