Defence minister Rajnath Singh reviews border infra projects

New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh reviewed border infrastructure projects at a high-level meeting at South Block on Tuesday, with work on strategic roads, bridges and tunnels set to be expedited in the coming days.

The review meeting, also attended by defence secretary Ajay Kumar, focused on projects across all sections of the border, including Eastern Ladakh where works on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) are continuing.

“The state of forward connectivity to border areas was reviewed and the consistent need of boosting the ongoing projects and expediting the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas was discussed,” the ministry of defence said in a statement.


Ministry officials said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is inducting the latest equipment and machines to the border areas and new techniques are being used to stabilise roads in difficult terrains. Officials said that trials have also been carried out to induct indigenously-built modular bridges in the forward areas.

Officials said BRO has surged its efforts and 30% more work has been carried out in the last financial year as compared to the past despite the threat of Covid-19.

“Despite unprecedented snowfall, breaking a 60-year-old record, all strategic passes and roads were cleared this year for traffic about one month before their average yearly opening dates,” an official said.