Infrastructure development transforms people's lives in border areas and is a game changer for the region, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday during his first visit to Arunachal Pradesh following the December 9 face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Tawang area.
"In plains, the government is constructing smart roads but in many border areas roads are scarce. Many areas even don't have basic tracks. In such remote areas, the government has initiated several welfare schemes along with basic civic amenities like electricity, telecommunications, education, and health that require connectivity," he said.
He was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the Siyom Bridge in the Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
He said that being a gateway to East Asia, the development of the North Eastern region is the priority of the government. The Northeast is important not only for the development of the entire nation but also strengthens relations with East Asia in terms of trade, travel, and tourism.
"PM Narendra Modi's government is working on developing better and smooth commuting facilities for the people in the country, especially in the North-East areas. These roads are significant from the strategic point of view too," he said.
He further said that India has always been against war. India has neither started a war against any country nor captured an inch of land from any country but this should not be taken for granted.
"I used to confuse BRO (Border Roads Organisation) with 'Bro' means brother but after seeing the work they are doing, they are actually brothers of our Armed forces and people," he said.
He inaugurated 28 infrastructure projects built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) across seven states. These projects are going to be built to facilitate the movement of heavy artillery and the movement of the troops of the Indian Armed Forces along borders.
"Despite being beautiful and full of natural resources, the entire North East region remained ignored from development. Even after several years of freedom, the region was ignored in the name of security issues or connectivity and remains deprived of basic facilities and it has largely affected the economy of the region," he said.
A total of 28 projects at the cost of Rs 724.3 crore are being undertaken by BRO across the country in strategic locations - including eight in Ladakh, two in Rajasthan, three each in Uttarakhand and Punjab and four have been identified in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
( With inputs from ANI )
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