Itanagar: The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, dedicated to the nation 28 infrastructure projects of Border Roads Organization, worth ₹724 crore, during an event organized at Siyom Bridge on Along-Yinkiong Road in Arunachal Pradesh on January 03.
So far, a total of 103 infrastructure projects of the BRO have been dedicated to the nation in the year at a total cost of Rs 2,897 crore.
The projects comprise 22 bridges, including Siyom Bridge; three roads and three other projects in seven border states/Union territories of northern and northeastern regions.
Eight of these projects are in Ladakh; five in Arunachal Pradesh; four in Jammu & Kashmir; three each in Sikkim, Punjab, and Uttarakhand; and two in Rajasthan.
In addition, three telemedicine nodes – two in Ladakh and one in Mizoram – were inaugurated.
Rajnath Singh emphasized that the aim is to build a strong and self-reliant ‘New India’ to effectively deal with future challenges which may arise due to the constantly evolving global scenario.
“The world is witnessing several conflicts today. India has always been against war. It is our policy. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew the world’s attention to that resolve when he said, ‘this is not the era of war’.”
“We do not believe in war, but if it is forced upon us, we will fight. We are ensuring that the nation is protected from all threats. Our armed forces are ready, and it is heartening to see that the BRO is walking shoulder-to-shoulder with them,” he said.
Terming infrastructure development as a game changer for the people residing in border areas, Singh lauded the BRO for ensuring socio-economic development in far-flung regions.
He stressed that the government is paying special attention to the development of the northeast, which has strengthened the country’s security system.
For the BRO’s relentless efforts to support the armed forces and the local people, Singh coined a new phrase: “BRO is the nation’s bro (brother).”
In October last year, 75 projects, worth ₹2,173 crore, were inaugurated by him from Shyok village in Ladakh.
In 2021, 102 such projects of the BRO were dedicated to the nation at a cost of ₹2,229 crore.
