India building strategic roads near Sino-India border: MHA

Thirty roads have been constructed, as per the scheduled time frame of 2012-13, while work is in progress on the rest of the roads.

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India building strategic roads near Sino-India border: MHA
Thirty roads have been constructed, as per the scheduled time frame of 2012-13.

In Short

  • Government looking to build strategic roads near Sino-India border.
  • Thirty roads have been constructed so far.
  • Indian and Chinese troops are staring down at each other at the Doklam, Trijunction.

The Narendra Modi government has announced fast tracking of construction of roads and infrastructure at the Sino-India border. At a time when India is looking to fend off the dragon's threat on its eastern border, the Government of India (GoI) is looking to build strategic roads near the Sino-India border. This was stated by Minister of State (MoS) for Home Kiren Rijiju today in a written reply to Lok Sabha MP Dhruva Narayana.

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Rijiju in a detailed reply to an unstarred question told the lower house that "Government has decided to undertake construction of 73 roads of operational significance along the Sino-India Border. Of these, 46 roads are constructed by Ministry of Defense while 27 roads by Ministry of Home Affairs. "

Thirty roads have been constructed, as per the scheduled time frame of 2012-13, while work is in progress on the rest of the roads. There has been a massive delay on account of inclement weather, mountainous rugged terrain, natural calamities, delay in forest and wild life clearance and land acquisition.

DOKLAM STANDOFF

Indian and Chinese troops are staring down at each other at the Doklam, Trijunction, with China on Tuesday calling for an "immediate withdrawal" of Indian troops at Doklam "to avoid escalation". The stand-off resulted with construction by Chinese PLA in the region. There has been massive construction by the Chinese in their end of the region, with India having lot of catching up to do.

The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had done a review in Sikkim capital Gangtok examining the progress of Indo-China infrastructure projects. A high level Empowered committee (HLEC) was headed by Home Secretary and a steering committee under chairman ship of Secretary Border management.

Immediate steps to fast track clearance includes state making empowered committee to resolve issues of land acquisition, wild life clearance, allotment of quarries etc. Ministry of Environment, Forest and climate change has acorded general approval under section (2) of the Forest (Conversation) Act 1980 for diversion of forest land for construction and widening of border roads in the area falling within 100 km of arerial distance of Kine of Actual Control (LAC).

Ministry of Defence has also approved long term roll on Work Plan and Long Term Equipment plan for border roads. DG Border roads has created posts of senior rank of ADG in East and West to supervise and monitor infrastructure work at the Sino India Border. More financial powers have also been given to these officers to avoid procurement delays.

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