The pace of construction of strategic road links close to China and Pakistan borders as well setting up of roads in the Naxal-affected regions of Central India has taken a beating over the last few years as the border roads organisation is suffering from a massive staff shortage.
 This fact was revealed at a review meeting here on Tuesday as BRO director general Lt Gen K S Rao and 14 chief engineers explained to the minister of state for defence M M Pallum Raju that the staff shortage was crippling key projects. “The vacancies are affecting the probable date of completion,” said Lt Gen Rao.
Set up in 1960, the BRO currently works in 13 different projects, each headed by a chief engineer, for road construction in border areas in the Himalayas, the North-East and the desert regions. Recently it has been asked by the Government to create better road connectivity near the China-border particularly in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control. 
The organisation is also constructing roads in Afghanistan, Andaman and Nicobar islands, Myanmar and areas in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Sources in the Defence Ministry told Deccan Herald that despite being the main agency responsible for creating these roads, the BRO was short of at least 10,000 staffers.
Also the morale of the engineering cadres in the BRO is low due to poor career avenues. Those belonging to the general reserve engineering force (GREF) cadre in the BRO get a raw deal. Recruited by the UPSC, the assistant executive engineers of BRO get their first promotion after 20 years, sources said.
On the other hand, the army engineers get their regular time-bound promotions thereby creating heartburn in the organisation. Maybe it was this heartburn, that compelled B B Lal, chief of Hirak project to issue an order two months back claiming the rank of a regular army major general for himself.  Under Project Hirak, roads are being constructed in the Naxalite zone of Central India. Strict action against Mr Lal seems to be unlikely to be taken as the minister has instructed the army and the GREF engineers to have “mutual respect” for each other and solve the issue amicably.