The strategic rail project in the North-East doesn’t look to becoming a reality anytime soon. The Defence Ministry failed to spend the Rs1,000 crore allotted to it in the last fiscal for conducting survey in collaboration with the Railways. As a result, the budgetary allocation for 2015-16 for the purpose has been slashed by half (Rs500 crore).
The cut has come even as China has already built more than 5,000 km of rail network in Tibet close to the line of Actual Control (lAC) and the Army desperately needs this rail connectivity in ladakh and the North-East to sustain logistics, including ferrying troops and weapons to the front. This project is hanging fire for more than five years, thereby, hampering operational preparedness.
Moreover, in a double whammy, the strategic road network is also hampered by delays. Only 18 of the 73 identified roads are complete thereby putting the Indian defence forces at a disadvantage vis-à-vis China.
It has already connected the lAC with the mainland by constructing more than 10,000 km of all weather roads to ensure logistical support to its troops throughout the year. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was also holding charge of Defence portfolio, in his Budget speech in July last year announced that he was allotting Rs 1,000 crore for “accelerating the development of railway system in the border areas.”
Though this amount appear to be too small, officials said that if the initial process had started, the Defence Ministry could have built up a strong case in pushing the Government for according top priority to the strategic rail network project.
However, the strategic rail network is still in the planning stage with Rs 1,000 crore allocated last fiscal to kick-start this vital project of “national importance.” Given the delay in starting the groundwork like conducting feasibility study, officials said the Finance Ministry reduced the allocation by half for 2015-16.
The Rs 1,000-crore fund was earmarked for carrying out survey for two proposed rail lines in the North-Eastern States, including Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, and one in the northern region. Railways will execute the project, including survey and building rail infrastructure, while the Defence Ministry will finance it. However, with no progress, the Defence Ministry had to surrender the allocation due to its inability to spend the money, sources said.
Given the present allocation of Rs 500 crore, they were pessimistic about the project taking off this year too with the Defence Ministry and the Railways yet to lay down the framework for conducting the feasibility study.
At least 14 proposed strategic rail networks in States facing China -- including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh -- are in the pipeline for the last one decade. These networks totaling 3,100 kms were identified by the Army for ensuring logistical support in terms of supply and weapons and troops to the front line. The estimated cost of this project is more than Rs 57,000 crore.
China already has ensured year round logistical support through the rail network and can rush troops to the front from the mainland. Moreover, it has five operational airbases in Tibetan plateau besides more than 10,000 km of road network.
This vastly superior infrastructure is a serious challenged to India’s Defence as troops, at present, have to trek for more than five days from the nearest road head in Arunachal Pradesh. The situation is same in ladakh where soldiers have to climb heights of more than 16,000 feet to reach the front in many sectors due to paucity of roads and rail connectivity.
Elaborating upon the implications of delay and reduction in funds, officials said it will affect operational preparedness as the construction of these rail lines through inaccessible terrain will take more than 10 years even if the clearances, including funds come now. In contrast, China is already building another critical rail link which will come very close to Sikkim and this project is likely to be completed in the next three to four years thereby posing direct threat to the North-East region.
Coupled with the delay in building rail network, only 18 of the 73 roads of strategic importance totaling 3,900 km are now complete. These roads are located in ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. These roads were to be completed by 2012 and the entire project will now taken another three to four years, they said.
In this backdrop, the plan to modernise 30 airfields and advanced landing grounds, mostly in North-East is as per schedule. The project started four years back and is expected to be over in next two years. Once ready for operational use, the IAF can land its small AN-32 transport aircraft and giant C-17 Globemasters and Il-76 carrying troops and weapons in remote areas.