Imphal: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated 75 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Saturday, worth Rs 2,236 crore. These projects include 22 roads, 51 bridges, and two additional developments, spanning across 11 states and union territories. Notably, 19 of these projects are in Jammu & Kashmir, 18 in Arunachal Pradesh, 11 in Ladakh, nine in Uttarakhand, six in Sikkim, five in Himachal Pradesh, two each in West Bengal and Rajasthan, and one each in Nagaland, Mizoram, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The Defence Minister inaugurated the projects from the Trishakti Corps Headquarters in Sukna, West Bengal, with a key highlight being the Kupup-Sherathang Road in Sikkim, a critical connection between Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg and Zuluk.
During his address, Singh praised the projects as a symbol of the government’s commitment to enhancing border infrastructure, crucial for both national defence and socio-economic development. He stressed that these efforts contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’.
With the completion of these 75 projects, BRO has now delivered 111 infrastructure projects in 2024 alone, with a total cost of Rs 3,751 crore. This includes major works like the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister earlier this year. In 2023, 125 BRO projects were completed, amounting to Rs 3,611 crore.
Singh also commended the BRO personnel for their dedication in completing these projects on time, despite challenging terrains and severe weather conditions. He highlighted the government’s focus on further strengthening border infrastructure, backed by the increased allocation of Rs 6,500 crore in the Union Budget 2024-25. This investment, he noted, would not only bolster defence capabilities but also drive socio-economic progress in border regions, particularly in the North East.
The Defence Minister contrasted the current government’s approach with that of pre-2014 administrations, which were hesitant to develop border areas for fear they could benefit adversaries. Singh emphasized that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, border infrastructure has been a top priority, recognizing its critical role in national development, especially in the North East. “In the past decade, we have built a vast network of roads from villages to cities, accelerating the nation’s progress like never before,” he said.
The event was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Defence Secretary-designate RK Singh, and senior BRO and military officers. Sikkim’s Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang was present at the main site in Sherathang, with several governors, chief ministers, and ministers attending the ceremony virtually, as noted in a press release from the Defence Ministry.
