This story is from October 12, 2016

Will soon improve communication, infrastructure and roads in border areas: Rijiju

The Union government will soon be speeding up the work to build and strengthen roads near the border areas according to Kiran Rijiju, minister of state for home who flagged off a mountain biking rally in Nabhidang in the Dharchula area at 14,140ft above sea level on Wednesday morning
Will soon improve communication, infrastructure and roads in border areas: Rijiju
DHARCHULA: The Union government will soon be speeding up the work to build and strengthen roads near the border areas according to Kiran Rijiju, minister of state for home who flagged off a mountain biking rally in Nabhidang in the Dharchula area at 14,140ft above sea level on Wednesday morning.
He added that in order to stem migration from hill villages, the central government was also looking at improving communication and other infrastructure facilities near border villages.
“Local people face numerous challenges related to communication even now. This is the 21stcentury and we should be able to provide enhanced communication services to people. I am going to ensure that border area deployment fund and other supplies are enhanced so that people are able to get larger benefits,” the minister of state said.
Replying to the queries related to the internal security of the country, he added that “the issue is of prime importance and the government is fully capable of handling the security of the nation.”
Praising the efforts of the Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) which had organised the rally in which 41 participants from the SSB including eight women were participating, the minister said, “This is a very difficult terrain since it takes days of trekking on foot to reach here. The effort is truly laudable.”
SSB officials said that the expedition was “the longest and the toughest till date in the history of any central armed police force.” Rajesh Thakur, one of the participants who recently completed a mountain biking expedition in Shimla, told TOI, “Such expeditions are not only good for the forces but also help in creating awareness on various issues besides helping in bolstering the participants’ health.” Added M Ranjeeta Devi, one of the women participants who is also preparing for an expedition to Mount Everest, “I am geared up for the challenge and hope to complete this expedition successfully and embark on another one soon.”
In the next few days, participants will ride through Didihaat, Pithoragarh, Almora, Ranikhet, Nainital, Kathgodam and Bajpur in Uttarakhand and then pass Rampur, Brijghat and Ghaziabad before reaching Delhi on October 26 where they will be welcomed by Union home minister Rajnath Singh.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA