Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday inaugurated 125 border infrastructure projects across Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bengal and Mizoram, extolling the achievement as a fillip to civilian connectivity as well as security.
Built at ₹5,000 crore, the projects include 28 roads, 93 bridges and four “miscellaneous” works. The event marked the largest and highest-value single-day inauguration in the history of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The event was organised on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road at the
Shyok Tunnel in Ladakh, among the key projects inaugurated.
Rajnath also inaugurated, virtually, the Galwan War Memorial in Ladakh that honours the bravery and sacrifice of armed forces personnel. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with the Chinese at the Galwan Valley, eastern Ladakh, on June 15, 2020.
The minister described the 920m Shyok Tunnel as an engineering feat that would provide all-weather access to one of the world’s most challenging military zones. He said it would improve mobility, logistics and rapid deployment, especially during the harsh winters marked by heavy snowfall and avalanches.
“Our brave soldiers in the armed forces and all BRO employees are continuously working for the country. The spirit (that) you have to work in any weather, in any situation, is why our country is continuously touching new heights,” a defence ministry statement quoted him as saying.
Rajnath said these roads, tunnels and bridges would provide last-mile connectivity to remote villages and forward military locations, bringing these areas closer to the national mainstream and boosting regional security, economy and disaster management.
He said India was fast strengthening its borders with roads, tunnels, smart fencing, integrated command centres and surveillance systems.
“There are numerous benefits of robust infrastructure in border areas. It ensures military mobility, smooth transportation of logistics, increase in tourism and employment opportunities and, most importantly, stronger faith in development, democracy and the government,” Rajnath said.
Rajnath said the projects had witnessed remarkable coordination between the armed forces, civil administrations and border residents. “This coordination; this mutualism, is our identity. This is what makes us unique in the world.”
Sources said the BRO had over the last two years carried out more than 300 infrastructure projects in diverse and challenging regions, including high-altitude, flood-prone and densely forested terrains.
This year’s Union budget raised the outlay for the BRO from ₹6,500 crore to ₹7,146 crore.
Rajnath underlined the key role connectivity had played in the successful conduct of Operation Sindoor.
“Everybody knows what befell those terrorists. We could have done much more but our forces, demonstrating both courage and patience, only did what was necessary,” he said.
“Such a massive operation was possible because of our strong connectivity. Logistics were delivered to the armed forces in a timely manner. Our connectivity with the border areas was maintained, making the operation a historic success.”