Antony asks BRO to speed up road works on China border

At a meeting to review the performance and functioning of the BRO, the Defence Minister asked top officials of the organisation to expedite work on more than 50 roads along the border, BRO sources told PTI.

Government has accorded high priority to the construction of these roads and had even pulled out a BRO unit from construction of a highway passing through the naxal-infested areas of Chhattisgarh.

This project has also been marred by allegations of financial irregularities for which the Defence Ministry had ordered a Court of Inquiry (CoI) under Lt Gen SS Sengupta, Commandant of the Pune-based College of Military Engineering.

The Minister asked the BRO to prioritise the air lift of construction equipment to remote locations in the hilly areas for these projects. BRO has also been trying to negotiate contracts with private operators to augment the airlift support provided to it by the Indian Air Force(IAF) choppers.

The Ministry has also been assured full support by the Environment Ministry for providing environmental clearances for construction activities under this strategic project.