Environmental norms relaxed at borders for beefing up infra: Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Government has relaxed environmental norms for strengthening infrastructure in border areas by building roads and rail lines to prevent any "misadventure" from across the borders, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said today.

In his message on the eve of Independence day for troops, he said a self-respecting nation like India cannot remain dependent on imports for meeting its weapons' requirements and the government has taken steps such as increasing FDI limit to move towards speedy indigenisation in military sector.

"Government is well aware of the need to maintain all round vigil in the nation's borders, to prevent any misadventure from across the borders. Therefore, keeping our war machinery in readiness and to be able to mobilise troops to forward areas at short notice is imperative."

"This requires a balanced strengthening of infrastructure in this sector by building and upgrading our border roads, strategic bridges, airfields, advanced landing ground among others," Jaitley said.

The Minister said the Border Roads Organisation and other central agencies have been tasked to build this infrastructure for the armed forces and Rs 1,000 crore have been alloted to build railway infrastructure to facilitate quick mobilisation of troops in these areas in the general budget.

"In order to carry out this task in a time-bound manner without cost overruns, the BRO has been authorised to engage outside expert agencies in the building of tough and technologically intensive border roads on a case-to-case basis," he added.