Rajnath Singh dedicates 44 major permanent bridges of strategic importance to the Nation

Heralding in a new era in the connectivity of roads and bridges in sensitive areas close to Western, Northern and North Eastern Borders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated 44 major permanent bridges to the Nation on October 12.

He also laid the Foundation Stone for Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh. These bridges are of strategic importance and provide connectivity to remote areas. The 44 bridges are spread over seven states/union territories.

The dedication ceremony was conducted through a Video Conference in the presence of Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff, Gen MM Naravane and Defence Secretary, Ajay Kumar at New Delhi.

Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju, Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Sikkim & Uttarakhand, Lt Governor of J&K, with Hon’ble Members of Parliament, civil/military dignitaries along with members of the public at various sites in respective States/ Union Territories attended through a video link.

In his address, Singh congratulated DG and all ranks of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for their achievements and said that the dedication of 44 bridges in one go in itself was a record.

Singh said in the challenging times of COVID-19 and despite the border tensions and disputes caused by Pakistan and China, the country was not only resolutely facing them but also bringing about historical changes in all sectors of development under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He lauded the BRO for its role in improving the border infrastructure and said these bridges improved connectivity in the far-flung areas of Western, Northern, and North East sectors and fulfilled the aspirations of local people.

They would also meet the transport and logistics requirements of the armed forces throughout the year, he added.

He said that roads and bridges are the lifeline of any nation and play a vital role in the socio-economic development of far-flung regions.

Reiterating the Central Government’s commitment to boost development activities in border areas, he said that the progress of all projects is regularly being monitored and adequate funds are being provided for their timely execution.

He said that the annual budget of BRO that varied from Rs 3,300 Crores to Rs 4,600 Crores in years 2008-2016, saw a substantial rise and is pegged at over Rs 11,000 Crores in 2020-21. There was no reduction in this budget despite COVID-19.