Underlining the importance of border villages, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said here they are the country’s first villages, not remote areas and the government is fully committed to their holistic development.
Addressing the Border Area Development Conclave, he pointed out that India’s geo-strategic position is such that it is exposed to different kinds of challenges and the best way to deal with them is to ensure border area development.
Highlighting the progress achieved in border area development in the last 10 years, Rajnath Singh said “Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed over 8,500 kms of roads and more than 400 permanent bridges. Atal Tunnel, Sela Tunnel and Shikun-La Tunnel, which is going to be the world’s highest tunnel, will prove to be milestones in border area development.
Our Government has started the 220 Kilo-Volt Srinagar-Leh Electricity Line to connect the border areas of Ladakh with the National Electricity Grid. In addition, the transmission and distribution infrastructure of north-eastern states is being strengthened.
High-speed internet has been provided to over 1,500 villages through the Bharat-Net broadband project. In the last four years alone, more than 7,000 border villages have been connected with internet connection, and our focus has been Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.”
Describing roads and electricity as basic facilities that form the foundation of development of any region, the defence minister reiterated the government’s unwavering resolve to ensure progress in every corner of the country.
He stated that the ongoing efforts have not only ensured prompt military deployments in sensitive regions, but have also connected the people residing in border areas with the rest of the country.
He underlined the fact that while building roads, bridges and tunnels in border areas is imperative for national security, it is also important in making the lives of the people in these regions better, in collaboration with the state governments.
Rajnath threw light on ‘reverse migration’, which he termed as one of the positive outcomes of economic development in border areas. He made special mention of Huri village in Arunachal Pradesh, a unique example of development through civil-military collaboration.
He stated that while the central and state governments focused on economic progress, BRO and Indian Army laid emphasis on infrastructure development, which resulted in reverse migration.
In his address, Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat spoke on ‘Tourism A Catalyst for Growth in Border Regions’. He highlighted the role of the Indian Army in these efforts. He stated that through joint projects it is being ensured that tourism growth in border regions goes hand-in-hand with security and infrastructure development.
Speaking on the occasion, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi described Border Area Development as a core component of national security. He stated that Indian Army’s efforts in the past have contributed immensely towards model villages in border areas, border tourism and developing infrastructure support including medical support and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
The border area development vision is bold, ambitious and deeply rooted in the principles of inclusivity, sustainability and security, he said, adding that there has been a ‘Whole of Nation Approach’ with renewed impetus.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu also attended the conclave. It was jointly organised by the Indian Army, in collaboration with Centre for Land Warfare Studies, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Telecommunications and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. The aim is to create a sustainable, secure and prosperous future for India’s border regions, which are not only gateways to the nation but also crucial for national security and regional development.
