India late in infra development along LAC but now catching up, says Lt Gen RP Kalita

Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Tuesday said India was late in developing infrastructure along the border in comparison to China however in last two decades there is tremendous focus of developing infrastructure along the borders.

The Eastern Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief also said the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is “normal but some amount of unpredictability” is there.

As a ‘Guest of Gauhati Press Club’, Kalita said, “They (China) started constructing infrastructure much before us. We are, slightly as a nation, late in commencing construction of infrastructure but now we are catching up.There has been tremendous effort in developing infrastructure all along the border with China, whether it is in Ladakh or Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand or Himachal, he added.


Kalita said, “Our preparation in the last two decades has been tremendous.The terrain on the Indian side is difficult due to the mountain range, while it is a plateau on the Chinese side."

He added, "India is creating a lot of infrastructure in the villages under the vibrant village programme. villages close to LAC are provided with basic facilities like education, healthcare are available. This is done so that people do not migrate to valley. "

He said that situation along the LAC in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh is normal, but some amount of unpredictability is there. India-China border is not a settled border and is not demarcated on ground, leading to difference in perceptions, he added.

He added, "As the border not being demarcated, people in those difficult areas go for hunting and herb collection. That is when they inadvertently cross over to the other side. Then we resolve through the established mechanism and bring them back. "