The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved construction of 2,280 km roads in Rajasthan and Punjab at an estimated cost of Rs 4,406 crore emphasising development of infrastructure in border areas.
A statement issued by the government said that the project is a result of a “change in mindset” that has accorded “special focus on development of border areas with facilities similar to other parts of the country.”
It added that the decision will have a major impact on the road and telcom connectivity, and facilities of water supply, health and education. It will also enhance rural livelihood, ease travel, and ensure connectivity of these areas with the rest of the highway network.
The decision comes amid border infrastructural work picking up pace in the last three years, including in the eastern Ladakh region and the northeast.
This includes construction of major military infrastructure such as border roads, bridges, habitat, ammunition depot, tunnels and helipads by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under the Ministry of Defence along the country’s northern, eastern and western borders.
This is also reflected in the works budget allocated to the BRO this fiscal, which saw a 30 per cent hike from last year to Rs 6,500 crore this year. The budget allocation for BRO this year is 160 per cent higher that what it was in 2021-2022.
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