Infrastructure construction along northern border to get a boost as BRO budget likely to get 50% hike

The Border Roads Organisation’s annual budget is likely to be increased by nearly 50% to boost infrastructure construction along India’s northern border, notwithstanding the Chinese frowning.

"With focus of the government in improving infrastructure in border areas, BRO’s budget for 2020-2021 is likely to be Rs 11,800 crores. This will give a major boost to ongoing projects and will expedite the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels along our northern borders,” said a defence ministry official in a statement. The agency’s budget in 2019-20 is just above Rs 8,000 crore.

Improvement of infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – India’s disputed boundary with China – is considered one of the key factors that contributed in the nine-week long Sino-Indian stand-off in eastern Ladakh.

Sources said since the budget exercise was yet to begin within the government, disclosing BRO’s possible budget enhancement in the later part of the current fiscal was meant to send a clear message to China that India would not shun developing its border infrastructure.

The border road construction agency’s allocation has already been augmented after it was administratively brought under the Defence Ministry.

With increased budgetary support, the BRO has executed 30% more works in 2019-20 as compared to 2018-19.

Its annual budget that varied from Rs 3,300 crores to Rs 4,600 crores between 2008-2016, saw a substantial rise to Rs 8,050 Crores in 2019-2020.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated six small bridges constructed by the BRO in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to aid faster military movement in the strife-torn territory.

Built at a cost of Rs 43 crore, two bridges are on the Tarnah Nallah in Kathua district and four bridges located on Akhnoor-Pallanwala road in the Akhnoor-Jammu region. Their length ranges from 30 to 300 metres.

The six bridges will be followed by 11 more. “We are making 17 bridges, of which six have been completed, five of them will be completed by next month and others will be completed by March 2021. All bridges are being made much before time,” said BRO Director General Lt Gen Harpal Singh.

Constructed under Project Sampark, the bridges would facilitate movement of the armed Forces in this strategically important sector and will also contribute towards the overall economic growth of remote border areas.

"The construction of these bridges were completed within time notwithstanding regular firing from across the border,” said the minister who asked the BRO to expedite the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas at a review meeting on Wednesday.