Speaking at an event ‘Raibaar-2019’ in Tehri, General Bipin Rawat said the Army and the Air Force will give all support to the Uttarakhand government in its efforts to boost connectivity, infrastructure and telecom facilities in areas close to the border with China. He added that steps are underway to create advance landing facilities in high altitude areas of the state close to the border.
“When I recently met Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, he said that advanced landing grounds or airfields should be constructed in the areas bordering China. We are speedily working on it,” the Army chief said.
He further assured that the Indian Army will extend every possible support for improving connectivity, be it road connectivity or air connectivity. “Army is also helping the locals living in border areas in taking up occupations such as walnut and pine-nut farming,” the General added.
While addressing the issue of provocation by Pakistan along the LOC, General Rawat also said the Army is taking “every measure and responding effectively” to Pakistan’s provocation. “I want to assure you that we are taking every measure and responding effectively,” he said.
The second edition of the ‘Raibaar’ conference was held in Dehradun, a state government-sponsored programme to deliberate on measures for the development of the state with a focus on remote hilly areas.
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UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and several other personalities had attended the event.
Recognising the strategic value of border regions, the Indian government has been extensively building necessary infrastructure like all-weather roads, communication lines, railway infrastructure etc to boost the country’s defence preparedness. Recently, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had built an alternative road to connect the Doklam valley, the site of a 73-day military standoff between India and China in 2017 along the Chumbi valley where China, Bhutan and India converge.
The newly built alternative road will now make easier to access the area through two points, easing the logistic difficulties, and decreasing time. This will further make the process of deployment the forces at the border smoother and faster.
Since 2014, out of the 61 strategic roads covering 3,346 km being built by BRO along the India-China border, 3,298 km are now connected. Nearly 2,400 km of these roads are already blacktopped, making them all-weather roads.