The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued ₹12,434.90 crore for expediting the construction of 32 roads on the India-China border under Phase-2. This was stepped up in the wake of the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. Phase-2 and Phase-3 construction were held-up due to delay in security and environment clearances and land acquisition issues, the official said.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and attended by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) among others. Border Roads Organisation, Central Public Works Department, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police are engaged in the construction work. The roads connecting border outposts will come up in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
For Phase-3, additional 50 roads have been proposed with road connectivity between the three phases, a total of 73 roads are being constructed along the Sino-Indian border. Of these, the CPWD is working on 12 and the BRO on 61, under the direct supervision of the MHA, which is the nodal authority for all border infrastructure-related projects.
The Indian Army and China’s People Liberation Army are locked in a tense border standoff over the past six months in Ladakh, where the minimum temperature has dipped to sub-zero levels. The two sides have so far held eight rounds of military talks to resolve the crisis.
BRO was entrusted with the task of completing 61 border roads and the work was completed on 29 such projects. The work on 32 projects was delayed due to multiple issues.
ITBP personnel maintain vigil along 3,488 km of the India-China border and operates 180 outposts at altitudes ranging from 9,000 feet to 18,750 feet in the western, middle, and eastern sectors of the India-China border — from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal. It has 14 training centres, with a sanctioned strength of 89,437 personnel. Recently, MHA sanctioned an additional 47 border outposts and staging camps as temporary outposts for patrolling teams.