Srinagar, Jan 19: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh dedicated to the nation 35 infrastructure projects of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), built at a cost of Rs 670 crore, during an event organised at Joshimath-Malari Road in Uttarakhand on January 19, 2024.
In his address, the Raksha Mantri commended the BRO for strengthening the border infrastructure of the country and asserted that by constructing roads, bridges etc., 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 Singh highlighted Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government’s approach towards border area development which, he said, completely differs from the previous governments. “Other governments did not focus on development of border areas as they considered these zones as the last areas of the country. We, on the other hand, consider border areas as the face of India, which is why we’re ensuring that world-class infrastructure is created in these zones,” he said.
The Raksha Mantri 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.
Rajnath Singh 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. He 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 Raksha Mantri 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.
Referring to the large migration from border areas in Uttarakhand, Shri Rajnath Singh termed it as a matter of concern. He said the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister are taking the schemes related to infrastructure development to the last person as the aim is to cover the development journey from the seas to the borders.
The Raksha Mantri also drew attention to the increasing number of natural disasters in some border States/UTs, 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.
Shri 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 Singh, 29 are bridges and six are roads. Eleven (11) of them are in Jammu & Kashmir; nine in Ladakh; eight in Arunachal Pradesh; three in Uttarakhand; two in Sikkim; and one each in Mizoram & 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 the Raksha Mantri 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.
In line with government policy of providing last mile connectivity, project Sampark has embarked on rapid development of infrastructure in Poonch, Reasi & Rajouri districts. Out of 35 Infrastructure projects inaugurated, Project Sampark dedicated 10 newly constructed bridges costing approx 64 Crores to the Nation on 19 Jan 2024 – Jotha 50.00 Prestressed Concrete Basoli-Bani-Bhaderwah, Kannha 240.00 Prestressed Concrete Kappagala-Battal , Balini 130.00 Prestressed Concrete Jammu-Srinagar, Sharthi 40.00 Prestressed Concrete Basoli-Bani-Bhaderwah, Sharad 30.00 Prestressed Concrete Basoli-Bani-Bhaderwah, Kargi 60.40 Multi Cell Box Culvert Akhnoor-Jourian, Jaglanoo 24.00 T-Beam Rajouri-Kandi-Budhal , Nagrota 14.00 T-Beam Rajouri-Kandi-Budhal, Mohagala 20.40 Multi Cell Box Culvert Pouni-Siar-Rajouri, Matka 20.40 Multi Cell Box Culvert Pouni-Siar-Rajouri
The inauguration of the most of above bridges took place virtually. Maj Gen Shailendra Singh, SM, Chief of Staff HQ 16 Corps inaugurated the Balini Bridge at Km 15.66 on road Jammu- Srinagar.
Expressing deep gratitude towards dedication of ten bridges to the Nation, Brig Neeraj Madan, Chief Engineer Project Sampark assured of giving renewed impetus to the projects under progress which would not only facilitate faster induction of troops into border area, but would also play a major role in socioeconomic deployment of the Nation.
