Pallam Raju Calls for Multi-pronged Approach to Devt of Border Roads

New Delhi, Nov 20 (UNI) Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju today called for modernisation, coordination and a multi-pronged approach through integration of all involved agencies to ensure accelerated development of roads in border areas.

Presiding over a meeting of the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB) here, the Minister stressed the need for the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to modernise, adequately train its personnel, coordinate various projects and adopt a multi-pronged approach by integrating all agencies involved to ensure accelerated development of border roads projects.

Minister Raju said the Government had accorded approval to creation of additional posts of 5,701 BRO personnel to complete various important projects on a time-bound basis.

He further urged the department to take adequate steps to fill the posts at the earliest so that the pace of construction was expedited and the target-dates met.

Commending BRO efforts, Minister Raju said development activities undertaken by the organisation had facilitated allround socio-economic development and upliftment of people of the areas concerned especially as it provided livelihood to the local population.

This was even more commendable considering ''the extremely difficult and harsh conditions'' under which BRO personnel work, the Minister observed.

He also expressed concern over the nonutilisation of additional allocation of funds by BRO which had resulted in the Organisation surrendering Rs 110 crore last year. If remedial measures were not taken immediately, it would affect the future allocation of funds for various projects, Minister Raju warned.

The Border Roads Development Board was raised in 1960. And during the past 46 years of its existence, BRO has grown in strength completing nearly 43,000 kms of surface roads across the length and breadth of the country as well as in Bhutan and Myanmar. Of this, 408 roads -- measuring 21,182 kms -- were in difficult and inhospitable terrain.

The Organisation has also diversified from initial responsibility of road construction to various other constructional activities which include building airfields, permanent bridges and other similar prestigious building projects.

UNI DG VD DB2126