Defense Minister inaugurates 29 bridges and six roads constructed by BRO in seven states/UTs at a cost of Rs 670 crore
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on January 19 dedicated to the nation 35 infrastructure projects built by BRO from the border area Joshimath Dhak. This includes 06 roads and 29 bridges of seven states. The projects were completed by BRO at a cost of Rs 670 crore. During this, State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Garhwal MP Tirath Singh Rawat were present with the Defense Minister.
The projects of seven states inaugurated by the Defense Minister include 03 bridges in Uttarakhand, 01 road and 10 bridges in Jammu and Kashmir, 03 roads and 6 bridges in Ladakh, 01 bridge in Himachal Pradesh, 02 roads in Sikkim, 08 in Arunachal Pradesh. Bridge and 01 bridge is included in Mizoram. In the state of Uttarakhand, Dhak Bridge and Bhapkund Bridge on the Joshmath-Malari road connecting the India-China border and Rimkhim Gadh Bridge on the Sumna-Rimkhim motor road, all three bridges have been built by Shivalit Project at a cost of Rs 33.24 crore. Due to which transportation in border areas has become easier.
The Defense Minister said, “We all have to work together to protect India’s borders. And friends, we are getting everyone’s support in this. Praising the service of the Border Roads Organization (BRO), the Defense Minister said that timely completion of any project has been possible due to the commitment of the organization. He also called for working in environment friendly manner with the mantra of maximum national security and welfare.
The Defense Minister lauded BRO for strengthening the country’s border infrastructure and said that by building roads, bridges etc., the organization is connecting remote areas geographically with the rest of the country, as well as remote areas. It is also connecting the hearts of the people living in the villages with the rest of the citizens.
The Defense Minister said that our government considers the border areas as part of the mainstream and not a buffer zone. “There was a time when development of infrastructure on the border was not given much importance. Governments used to work with the mindset that the people living in the plains were the mainstream people. He was worried that developments on the border could be exploited by the enemy. Due to this narrow mindset, development could never reach the border areas. This thinking has changed today. Under the leadership of PM Modi, our government is committed to the development of border areas keeping in mind the security needs of the country. We do not consider these areas as buffer zones.” They are part of our mainstream.
The Defense Minister said that climate change is not just a weather related phenomenon but a very serious issue related to national security. He said that the Defense Ministry is taking this very seriously and will seek cooperation from friendly countries in this regard. Rajnath Singh also made special mention of the contribution of BRO in the recently launched Silkiara Tunnel Operation to rescue stranded laborers in Uttarakhand.
The Defense Minister said that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognizes the hard work of the people associated with the organization. “We have ensured risk and hardship allowance for permanent civilian personnel of BRO at par with the armed forces. Ex-gratia compensation for casual laborers has been increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Recently, I have approved the provision of insurance of Rs 10 lakh for our CPL. These steps will help in boosting the morale of our armed forces personnel, civilian employees and CPLs in BRO.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also met the soldiers of Border Roads Organization in Joshimath Dhaka and boosted their morale by talking to them. He also praised the work of BRO in strengthening the connectivity on the country’s borders in adverse circumstances.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while welcoming and congratulating the Defense Minister on his arrival at Devbhoomi, expressed his gratitude on the inauguration of development projects of border areas. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, work on big projects has been started considering the strategic, religious and environmental importance of the state. Schemes like Chardham All Weather Road, Rishikesh-Karnprayag Railway Line, Frontier Area Development Project and Mountain Range are important from the point of view of development as well as security. The Chief Minister said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, work is being done to rapidly advance the development work in the state of Uttarakhand. To make Uttarakhand the best state of the country, the state government is working with full determination and determination without any option. The Chief Minister congratulated and congratulated the entire team of BRO for giving impetus to the infrastructure development work in the border areas.
On this occasion, BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt, Karnaprayag MLA Anil Nautiyal, Tharali MLA Bhupal Ram Tamta, District President Ramesh Mekhuri, BKTC Vice President Kishore Panwar, District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana, Superintendent of Police Smt. Rekha Yadav, Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan from BRO were present.
