Road networking in Indo-China border areas on war-footing

Leh, May 4 (UNI) After strengthening infrastructural facilities in eastern and Central border areas, setting up road networks in the northern areas bordering China has started on a war-footing.

The seriousness of government towards the strengthening of infrastructure in the area can be vouched from the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sent a high-level delegation, led by his special envoy and former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, to Ladakh on a six-day tour to review various schemes.

Speaking about the ongoing schemes in the northern areas, Mr Saran told mediapersons here that the infrastructure in this area was not being strengthened with the sole purpose of providing better facilities to armed forces but also to link this rough terrain with the mainstream of progress.

It is just a coincidence that this delegation from the Centre has reached Siachen on the day of Defence Minister A K Antony's visit.

The delegation includes Border Roads Organistaion (BRO) Director Lieutenant General K S Rao along with senior External Affairs Ministry officials. Notably, the official who looks after the China issue has also been included in the External Affairs Ministry.

''At this point of time, making the National Highway between Srinagar -Leh double laned is of prime concern to me,'' Lieutenant General Rao said. Apart from this an alternative path for Kargil is under way which will be detached from the areas vulnerable to firing.

The National Highway between Jammu-Pathankot and Leh and between Manali and Leh is also being given a new look, he added.

He mentioned that India has taken up the process of Infrastructure construction at a time when even China is also working on strengthening the Infrastructural facilities at the border areas on a large scale.

Mr Sharan said he will review the present schemes and the future plans and give the report to the Prime Minister, adding that all the priority schemes will be completed by 2012.

The roads used by the civil military of the area and Indo-Tibet Border Police will be unified and financial resources for building roads after this networking will be obtained from the Road Transport Ministry, he added.

UNI