Border roads to link passes

Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, TT, 28 October 2017, New Delhi: The Centre has sanctioned a proposal to build 50 roads over the next three years to connect the Himalayan passes as part of its border strategic development programme, Union home ministry sources said.

"Over 50 metalled roads are to be built along the India-China border in Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The cost is estimated to be Rs 45,000 crore," a ministry official said.

There are 160 passes close to the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC), of which nearly 50 are already connected through roads. Motorable roads connecting the passes will improve patrolling and logistics transport in the treacherous terrain.

Sources said the government had marked out infrastructure development along the LAC as a priority since the Doklam standoff with China, at a time Beijing has ramped up its border infrastructure by building roads, bridges, a railway network and airports.

Intelligence reports have highlighted more than 20 spots along the border in Ladakh and Sikkim where Indian and Chinese troops often face off.

During its weeklong commanders' conference a fortnight ago, the army had reviewed its preparedness along the China border, keeping in mind the continuous threat of infiltration.

Senior officers led by army chief Bipin Rawat had stressed infrastructure building along the border to ensure faster deployment and better maintenance of frontier posts.

The army has said that four passes - Niti, Lipu, Thang La and Tsangchokla, all in Uttarakhand - will be connected by 2020.

The Centre is also considering doubling the grant to upgrade the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the first line of defence along the China border.

"There's a proposal to equip the border force with the latest weaponry and more surveillance equipment," an official said.

(Shared by Kalimpong News, Source & Courtesy:  https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/border-roads-to-link-passes-181756)