This initiative aims to enhance the road network in eastern Ladakh, facilitating faster movement of security forces along the Line of Actual Control.While some key roads under Phase II of ICBR are still under construction, most of the phase has been completed, providing all-weather roads for improved connectivity, according to an ET report.
India and China share a 3,488 km border spanning across Ladakh, Arunachal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim. Following the 2020 standoff with the Chinese army at Galwan in eastern Ladakh, the Union government has accelerated the pace of road construction and identified new roads under the third phase of ICBR.
Roads Completed in Eastern Ladakh
According to official data, India has achieved a formation cutting rate of 470 km roads per year from 2017-20, a significant increase from the 230 km per year maintained in the previous decade until 2017. Under ICBR phases I and II, 73 roads were identified as strategic, with 61 of them assigned to BRO. In eastern Ladakh, five new roads have been identified under phase 3, to be constructed by BRO and CPWD. In many cases, single or double-lane roads have been upgraded to four lanes.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the first blast for the Shinku La tunnel, which is expected to provide all-weather connectivity from Manali to Leh. The 4.1-kilometre tunnel is anticipated to facilitate the movement of armed forces and equipment.
The Union Budget 2024 recently allocated Rs 6,500 crore to BRO for 2024-25, a 30% increase compared to the allocation for 2023-24. The Union home ministry received an allocation of Rs 1,050 crore for the vibrant village programme, aimed at developing border villages along the border with China.
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In 2023, the Union government allocated Rs 4,800 crore under the programme, including Rs 2,500 crore specifically for road connectivity, for the period from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
The centrally sponsored programme has identified 2,967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts along the northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh for comprehensive development. The first phase prioritizes 662 villages, including 455 in Arunachal Pradesh and 35 in Ladakh.
The slow pace of border infrastructure construction was highlighted by a parliamentary panel after the 2017 Doklam standoff between India and China.
