India accelerates infrastructure projects along India-China border: Report

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India has accelerated road infrastructure projects near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. Construction is on in 'full swing' in Ladakh and the aim is to complete 42 strategic Indo-China Border Roads (ICBRs) by 2022, officials told The Economic Times.

As many as 73 such roads are identified along the India-China border. Around 3,410 km, or 61 roads, has been assigned to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), while 12 roads have been divided between the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Of these 73, 28 projects are already operational, 33 are under construction and 12 are in initial stages. Most pending projects are in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand regions, officials told the paper.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Reasons for the delays range from environmental clearance, natural disasters, strategic security considerations, shortage of construction material, land acquisition problems and limited working season, a senior official said.

Development of these roads will improve infrastructure and accessibility of border areas that lack connectivity, another official added. India-China share a 3,488-km-long border along Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Apart from roads, other infrastructure projects in the area include border outposts, mobile towers and strategic railway lines as well.

Tashi Namgyal, BJP Councillor from Tangtse constituency in eastern Ladakh, told the paper that BRO has roped in around 300 locals, including women, from border villages as porters and labourers for road construction in Shayok, Durbok and Daulat Beg Oldie areas along the Ladakh LAC.

He added that the measures were 'accelerated' after Chinese incursions in Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso.