Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh successfully devoted 44 big concrete bridges to the country in a new phase in the integration of bridges as well as roads in vulnerable places near the western, as well as northern and north-eastern boundaries. He also set up the Stone Base for the Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh. These bridges are strategically significant and provide access to different regions. The 44 bridges are scattered across 7 states / UTs. The event was arranged via a teleconference in the attendance of Dr Jitendra Singh, who is the Union Minister as well as Chief of the Defense Staff, along with Gen Bipin Rawat, who is the Chief of the Army Staff, as well as Gen MM Naravane and Secretary of Defense, Sh Ajay Kumar in New Delhi.
In his speech, the Defence Minister congratulated DG as well as all the grades of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) on their accomplishments and told that the construction of 44 bridges was a milestone achieved. Shri Rajnath Singh said that in the tough moments of COVID-19, and amid the border conflicts and disputes triggered by Pakistan along with China, the country was nonetheless firmly confronted with them, and brought about historic reforms in all spheres of growth under the capable leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi.
Appreciating the position of the BRO in developing border facilities, Shri Rajnath Singh, such bridges have enhanced communication in the furthest-flung regions of the western, as well as northern and north-eastern sectors and have satisfied the expectations of residents. They would therefore meet the transportation and logistics specifications of the military services during the year, he said.
Raksha Mantri also said roads and infrastructure are the lifeblood of every country and play a crucial role in the socio-economic growth of remote regions. Repeating the pledge of the Central Govt to improve construction activities in border regions, he has said the performance of all ventures is being tracked regularly and that sufficient funding is being given for their effective identification.
He has said the yearly budget of BRO, which ranged from Rs 3,300 Cr. to Rs 4,600 Cr. throughout the decades 2008-2016, has seen a major increase and was more than Rs 11,000 Crs in the years 2020-2021. Given COVID-19, there was no cut in this budget.
