Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday dedicated to the nation 35 infrastructure projects including 29 bridges and six roads of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), built at a cost of Rs 670 crore. These bridges and roads connect border areas and will ensure seamless logistic support to the armed forces thereby ensuring operational readiness.
The defence minister inaugurated these projects at Joshimath-Malari Road in Uttarakhand and commended the BRO for strengthening the border infrastructure of the country. He also said by constructing roads and bridges, the organisation is connecting the far-flung areas with the rest of the nation geographically, while also linking the hearts of the people residing in remote villages with the rest of the citizens.
Rajnath stressed that connectivity is being provided to every border area in the country through roads, bridges and tunnels, describing the work as not only of strategic importance, but also pivotal for the welfare of the people residing in these regions.
“People living near the borders are no less than soldiers. If a soldier protects the country by wearing a uniform, the residents of border areas are serving the motherland in their own way,” he said.
He pointed out that the Government has changed the approach adopted by previous governments that the border areas are buffer zones between the plains and the potential adversary.
Rajnath emphasised that the present government considers border areas a part of the mainstream and not a buffer zone. “There was a time when border infrastructure development was not given much importance. Governments used to work with the mentality that the people living in the plains are the mainstream people.
They were worried that the developments on the border might be used by the adversary. Due to this narrow mentality, development never reached the border areas. This thinking has changed today. Under the leadership of PM Modi, our government is committed to the development of border areas, keeping in view the Nation’s security needs. We do not consider these areas as buffer zones. They are a part of our mainstream,” he said.
The defence minister added that the Government’s approach shows a new confidence of ‘New India’, which will not wait for potential adversaries to reach the plains to deal with them.
“We are developing infrastructure on the mountains and deploying the troops on hill borders in such a way that it is ensuring the safety of the people there, and helping the military to effectively deal with our adversaries,” he said.
Rajnath also drew attention to the increasing number of natural disasters in some border States and Union Territories including Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim in recent years, stating that many experts believe that climate change is the reason behind these incidents.
He called climate change as not just a weather-related phenomenon, but a very serious issue related to national security. The Ministry of Defence is taking this very seriously and will seek cooperation from friendly countries in this regard, he added.
Rajnath Singh made special mention of the BRO’s contribution in the recent Silkyra Tunnel operation launched to rescue the trapped labourers in Uttarakhand. Commending the BRO personnel, especially women workers, for their tireless hard work during the operation, he congratulated the entire team of General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) for carrying out its duties in the time of crisis.
He termed the operation, which witnessed coordinated efforts of National Disaster Response Force, BRO, Indian Air Force and state agencies, as a great example of teamwork.
Out of the 35 projects inaugurated by Rajnath, 29 are bridges and six are roads. Eleven (11) of them are in Jammu and Kashmir; nine in Ladakh; eight in Arunachal Pradesh; three in Uttarakhand; two in Sikkim; and one each in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh. These projects have been constructed under challenging weather conditions at the most inhospitable terrain. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami was also present during the event.
The event was organised on the Dhak Bridge, a state-of-the-art 93-meter long Class 70R bridge over Dhak Nallah, which was inaugurated by Rajnath on the site. The Dhak Bridge assumes strategic importance as it will provide increased connectivity to the borders and enhance operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.
It will also boost the socio-economic development of the region as it is the only road connecting villages from Joshimath to Nitipass. This will not only promote tourism, but also generate more employment opportunities. The remaining 34 projects include Ragini-Ustad-Pharkian Gali Road in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a 38.25-km long CL-9 road, which will provide all weather connectivity between Tangdhar and Keren sector, bolstering the operational readiness of the military.