According to an annual report released earlier this month by the Central Public Works Department, The government of India will build up 44 strategic roads along the border with China and over 2100 km of axial and lateral roads in Punjab and Rajasthan, joining Pakistan, to ensure quick mobilisation of troops in case of a conflict between the two countries.
A CPWD document shows that the agency has been asked to construct 44 strategically important roads along the India-China border. It also stated that the CPWD has been entrusted with construction of 44 strategically important roads along the Indo-China Border spanning 5 states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. And these 44 strategically roads along the India-China border will be constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 21,000 crore.
The report comes at a time where China is giving a priority to projects along its India borders. Last year, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a face-off at the Doklam tri-junction after the neighbouring country had begun building road in the area. The standoff ended on August 28 following a mutual agreement under which China stopped the construction of the road and India withdrew its troops.
It said the process of approval of Detailed Project Report (DPRs) by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is underway.
The CPWD report revealed that lateral and axial roads measuring over 2,100 kilometers will be built with a cost of around Rs 5,400 crore in Rajasthan and Punjab along the Indo-Pakistan border
The DPRs for this project are under preparation in CPWD, which is a major construction agency of the central government. It affirmed that the road projects will secure the vast and remote border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab.
A total of 945 km of lateral roads and 533 km of axial roads lie in Rajasthan and 482 km of lateral roads and 219 km of axial roads in Punjab.
India’s border with Pakistan runs through four states, Jammu and Kashmir 1,225 km, which includes 740 km of Line of Control, Rajasthan (1,037 km), Punjab (553 km) and Gujarat (508 km).
