'Raise fund for road along Indo-Sino border'

Itanagar, July 05: The Trans Himalayan Parliamentary Forum (THPF) has requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to increase fund provision for road network along Indo-China border in the view of the topographical difficulties and harsh climatic conditions of the Himalayan states.

The plea to this effect came in the backdrop of the green signal for construction of 608-km road network along the Indo-China border stretching from Ladakh to Diphu-La in Arunachal Pradesh by cabinet committee on security headed by Dr Manmohan Singh.

In a letter to the prime minister, Forum convenor Khiren Rijiju stated that better road connectivity in the Indo-China border has been the long standing demand of the Forum.

Mr Rijiju lamented on the proposed 608-km road saying it was very less for Arunachal which shares 1080-km border with China. Moreover, the allocated fund of Rs 912 crore was too meager.

While Chief Minister Gegong Apang and APCC president Mukut Mithi had led the rank and file of Congress party in the state in appreciating the Centre, the Trans Himalayan Parliamentary Forum (THPF) had also welcomed.

Mr Rijiju urged the prime minister to take up the matter in a holistic manner.

UNI