Roads along China border top priority: Manik Sarkar
By IANSSunday, March 7, 2010
AGARTALA - The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has given top priority to constructing strategic roads along the China border, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said Monday.
“The BRO has also agreed to take up roads along the Bangladesh border as these are equally crucial for India’s security,” Sarkar told the Tripura assembly.
The chief minister Saturday met BRO director general Lt. Gen. M.C. Badhani Saturday and discussed the upgrading of border roads.
“The BRO chief told me that despite their highest commitment to build strategic roads along China, they would consider taking up the maintenance and development of border roads with Bangladesh,” Sarkar said.
“Northeast in general and Arunachal Pradesh in particular have been given the highest importance for the development of road and bridge infrastructure. Around 2,770 km of roads, including border roads with China, are in various stages of construction by BRO,” an official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,030-km unfenced border with China.
Giving details of the upcoming plans concerning border management, Sarkar said the number of Border Outposts along the 856-km border with Tripura would be increased to 245 from the existing 208.
“If the border roads are not developed, there would be a serious security threat from both across the border and militants,” Sarkar said.
Five Indian states - West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam and Tripura - share the 4,095-km border with Bangladesh. These include a 2,979-km land border.
