82 percent of roads along China border unfinished

[Hindustani78]

Srinagar-Banihal highway

67-km four-lane of the Srinagar-Banihal highway, commissioned by the NHAI to RAMKY in 2011, failed to meet the deadlines set for year 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The J&K’s Inspector General of Police, Traffic, attributed “the traffic mess to the dilapidated roads” in its report submitted to the court.

As for the Bandipora-Sumbal road, which has been taken up by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Bhat Fayaz and N A Malik will oversee the work. Similarly, the Srinagar-Sopore route will be supervised by lawyers B.A. Zargar and Shafkat Nazir.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...-worth-rs-13500-crore-for-north-east-4553030/

The Railways has sanctioned projects worth Rs 13,500 crore for the North East in this year’s budget, Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said on Friday. “Railway ministry has big plans for the North-East. Several new projects amounting to about Rs 13,500 crore have been sanctioned in this year’s budget including new lines, bridges and an elevated rail tract project from Kamakhya to New Guwahati at a cost of Rs 3,062 crore”, Gohain said on the second day of the infrastructure development conference ConMac here.

These steps would not only help to boost the infrastructure of this region but also generate employment for the youth through several spin-off industries, he said.

A bottled drinking water plant under the Rail Neer brand at Jagiroad in Assam and a high-end North East Safari Train was being envisaged, the minister added.

North East Council (NEC) member C K Das highlighted the infrastructural gaps in the region as compared to other regions of the country and spoke about the initiative of NEC for infrastructure development in the region.

North East Frontier Railway has identified the critical projects in the region and the progress over the last few years has been satisfactory, NF Railway’s General Manager (Construction) H K Jaggi said.

Border Roads Organization’s Additional Director General S S Porwal said that with six months project implementation window in the region, an efficient management system would result in high level of performance and greater confidence in the reliability of results.

The Conference has been organised in partnership with Indian Construction Equipment’s Manufacturers’ Association (ICEMA).

 

[Hindustani78]

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/national-highway-nh-snowfall-j-k-4562089/
By: PTI | Srinagar | Published:March 9, 2017 5:02 pm

The Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for second consecutive day on Thursday though there was slight improvement in weather condition. (Source: PTI Photo)


The Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the second consecutive day on Thursday though there was slight improvement in the weather condition after two days of intermittent snowfall in the higher reaches. The nearly 300-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was closed for traffic on Wednesday due to snowfall and rain at various places coupled with landslides and shooting stones.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which maintains the arterial road, has pressed its men and machines to restore traffic on the road but landslides and shooting of stones, triggered by rains, hampered the efforts.

No movement of traffic, either from Jammu or Srinagar, was allowed on Wednesday as well, a spokesman for the Traffic Control Room at Jammu said.

Efforts are on to clear the highway of the blockades at various places including Battery Cheshma, Anookhi fall, Digdol, Panthyal, Ramsoo, Gangroo, Karol, Mehar, Chanderkot, Peerah, Sarga and Nashri.

Snow clearance is also in progress at Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop sectors to make the road traffic worthy, the spokesman said, adding it might be opened tomorrow if there is no fresh snowfall or rains.

There was no report of snowfall and rain from anywhere since the morning, much to the relief of people, especially those living in the high-altitude areas, where authorities had issued an avalanche warning yesterday, following snowfall ranging between five inches to one-and-a-half feet.

However, MET department officials said there could be rain or snow in some areas in the next 48 hours.

Meanwhile, the night temperatures at most places in the Kashmir division continued their downward trend with Srinagar recording a low of 1.8 degrees Celsius against the previous night’s 3.1.

The normal night temperature for this part of the season is 3 degrees Celsius.

The city recorded a high of 5.8 degrees Celsius yesterday which was eight notches below normal, a spokesman of the MET department said.

He said Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the coldest place in the state as the minimum temperature at the snow-bound ski resort settled at minus 4.6 degrees Celsius. The hill resort had recorded a low of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius yesterday.

Kargil and Leh townships in Ladakh region recorded a minimum of minus 4.2 and minus 4 degrees Celsius respectively, the spokesman said.

The Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, also recorded a sub-zero night temperature at minus 0.2 degrees Celsius.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
10-March, 2017 15:13 IST
Financial Packages for the border roads

Government has allocated funds to Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for maintenance of roads in border areas in various States as mentioned below:-

S. No.
State
Financial year (Rs. in Crores)
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17


(i)Jammu & Kashmir
196.64
259.33
287.11
233.17

(ii)Himachal Pradesh
25.27
19.18
33.28
30.33

(iii)Uttarakhand
110.04
55.72
86.15
71.55

(iv)Rajasthan
63.58
86.24
91.31
59.79

(v)Sikkim & West Bengal
46.41
33.48
30.10
33.57

(vi)Nagaland
24.02
31.44
25.36
32.00

(vii)Manipur
38.48
68.57
33.15
16.84

(viii)Mizoram
29.56
34.66
29.42
39.92

(ix)Assam
22.67
43.76
27.13
10.69

(x)Tripura
13.98
16.54
6.66
0.37

(xi)Arunachal Pradesh
99.84
60.53
100.43
113.51

Total:
670.49
709.45
750.10
641.74

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Ram Swaroop Sharma in Lok Sabha today.

 

[ohmrlobalobayeh]

Srinagar-Banihal highway

67-km four-lane of the Srinagar-Banihal highway, commissioned by the NHAI to RAMKY in 2011, failed to meet the deadlines set for year 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The J&K’s Inspector General of Police, Traffic, attributed “the traffic mess to the dilapidated roads” in its report submitted to the court.

As for the Bandipora-Sumbal road, which has been taken up by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Bhat Fayaz and N A Malik will oversee the work. Similarly, the Srinagar-Sopore route will be supervised by lawyers B.A. Zargar and Shafkat Nazir.

im astonished- is that how u guys build roads by the border?

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
17-March, 2017 17:47 IST
Roads Along Border Areas

The State-wise details of road entrusted to Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for construction/improvement in the border areas are as per enclosed.

STATE WISE ROADS ENTRUSTED TO BRO IN THE COUNTRY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION / IMPROVEMENT:

S. No.
State / UT
Nos. of roads
Length (in km)

1
Andaman & Nicobar
1
23.94

2
Arunachal Pradesh
99
5267.51

3
Assam
4
100.61

4
Himachal Pradesh
11
924.52

5
Jammu & Kashmir
231
7122.47

6
Manipur
21
1838.00

7
Mizoram
11
888.44

8
Nagaland
10
841.18

9
Punjab
10
276.68

10
Rajasthan
53
2621.02

11
Sikkim
37
910.17

12
Tripura
2
201.04

13
Uttarakhand
27
1117.01

14
West Bengal
2
92.60


Total:
519
22225.17

In addition, 04 strategic railway lines for construction and final location survey by Ministry of Railways, has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security as under:-

(i) Misamari (Bhalukpong)-Tenga-Tawang

(ii) Phasighat-Parsuramkund-Rupai

(iii) Bilaspur-Mandi-Manali-Leh to be connected to Pathankot

(iv) North Lakhimpur-Bame (Along)-Silapathar

Further, no road project is entrusted to BRO in Uttar Pradesh.

There are certain delays in execution of road projects mainly due to the following reasons:-

(i) Delay in Forest/wildlife clearance

(ii) Hard rock stretches

(iii) Limited working season

(iv) Difficulties in availability of construction materials

(v) Delay in land acquisition

(e) The Government has taken following measures to expedite the construction works:-

(i) States of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have constituted the Empowered Committee to resolve the issues pertaining to BRO.

(ii) Outsourcing has been allowed to augment capacity of BRO.

(iii) Long Term Roll On Works Plan (LTRoWP) and Long Term Equipment Plan (LTEP) have been approved.

(iv) Enhanced financial and administrative powers have been given to the executives of BRO.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shri Harinarayan Rajbhar in Lok Sabha today.

 

[Hindustani78]

Union ministers, Kiren Rijiju and Manoj Sinha will be in Arunachal Pradesh on April 1 to give impetus to the strategically important Tawang railway line.

Rijiju, minister of state for home and Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, and Sinha, minister of state for railways, will attend a function at Naharlagun railway station, situated around 15 kms from Arunachal capital Itanagar, commencing the feasibility study to construct the railway lines.

Tawang, which is around 200km from Itanagar, is situated at an elevation of around 10,000 feet on the Indo-China border. Connecting the town through rail has huge strategic implications, sources in the North Block have said.

Just across the border from Arunachal, China has rapidly provided connectivity to remote areas and India also needs to match up to its neighbour in terms of development and connectivity, they said.

Sinha and Rijiju will inaugurate a survey for building a broad gauge line connecting Bhalukpong with Tawang, a distance of 378 kilometres.

The other broad gauge line, which will be part of the survey, will be the 249-kilometre North Lakhimpur-Bame-Silapathar track, located between Pasighat airport and Rupa in Arunachal Pradesh.

Tawang is of immense strategic importance to India as it is located on the India-China border in Arunachal, which Beijing has repeatedly claimed is a part of Tibet. It has been routinely objecting to visits by any top Indian leader to the region.

It had recently objected to a proposed visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://zeenews.india.com/jammu-and-...n-eiffel-tower-over-chenab-river-2001946.html

Designed to withstand wind speeds of upto 260 km per hour, the 1.315 km long "engineering marvel" will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar).

By Zee Media Bureau | Last Updated: Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - 20:46

New Delhi: In what would be hailed as an “engineering marvel”, a railway bridge taller than the Eiffel Tower is being built across the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir.

The construction of the bridge, likely to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, is expected to be completed in around two years from now.

Once completed, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in China.

Being constructed at a cost of around Rs 1,100 crore in hostile terrain, the huge arch-shaped structure will use more than 24,000 tonnes of steel and will rise 359 m above the river bed.

Designed to withstand wind speeds of upto 260 km per hour, the 1.315 km long "engineering marvel" will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar).

The bridge forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.

"The construction of the bridge is the most challenging part of the Kashmir rail link project and once completed, it will be an engineering marvel," said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project.

Slated to be completed by 2019, it is expected to become a tourist attraction in the region. There will also be a ropeway in the bridge for inspection purposes.

Steel was the material of choice to construct the humongous structure as it is more economical and able to resist temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of above 250 kmph.

The Railways will also install sensors on the bridge to check the wind velocity: as soon as the wind speed exceeds 90 kmph, the signal on the track will turn red, preventing train movement.

In order to enhance safety and security, the bridge will be made of 63 mm thick special blast-proof steel as the Jammu and Kashmir region is prone to frequent terror attacks.

The concrete pillars of the bridge will be designed to withstand explosions and painted with a special corrosion- resistant paint, which lasts for 15 years.

According to the plan, a ring of aerial security will be provided to safeguard the bridge. An online monitoring and warning system will be installed on the bridge to protect the passengers and train in critical conditions. Footpaths and cycle trails will be built adjacent to it.

It is expected to contribute to the economic development of the state and help in improving accessibility.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...henab-river/article18377472.ece?homepage=true

The massive arch-shaped structure, being constructed at a cost of around Rs 1,100 crore in a hostile terrain, will use over 24,000 tonnes of steel and rise 359 m above the river bed. Designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour, the 1.315 km-long “engineering marvel” will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar).

The bridge forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.

“The construction of the bridge is the most challenging part of the Kashmir rail link project and once completed, it will be an engineering marvel,” said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the project.

Slated to be completed by 2019, it is expected to become a tourist attraction in the region. There will be a ropeway in the bridge for inspection purposes. Once completed, it will surpass the record Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) over the Beipan river in China.

Steel was the material of choice to construct the humongous structure as it is more economical and able to resist temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of above 250 kmph. The railways will install sensors on the bridge to check the wind velocity: as soon as the wind speed exceeds 90 kmph, the signal on the track will turn red, preventing train movement.

In order to enhance safety and security, the bridge will be made of 63mm thick special blast-proof steel as the Jammu and Kashmir region is prone to frequent terror attacks. The concrete pillars of the bridge will be designed to withstand explosions and painted with a special corrosion- resistant paint, which lasts for 15 years.

According to the plan, a ring of aerial security will be provided to safeguard the bridge. An online monitoring and warning system will be installed on the bridge to protect the passengers and train in critical conditions. Footpaths and cycle trails will be built adjacent to it.

It is expected to contribute to the economic development of the State and help in improving accessibility.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://zeenews.india.com/india/ngt-...ovt-for-illegal-dumping-in-ganga-2002120.html
New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday issued a notice to the Centre, Uttarakhand Government and the Border Road Organisation in regard to the illegal dumping of debris into the Ganga river.

The court has also asked Uttarakhand's Additional Secretary forest to appear in person on May 31st.

The Uttarakhand Government admitted illegal dumping of road construction debris in the Gangotri range.

It submitted before the green tribunal that they have found illegal dumping in Gangotri national park during inspection, in Bhairo Ghati.

The state government promised to crack down on illegal dumping of road debris before next hearing.

Earlier on Tuesday, the NGT summoned the Uttarakhand's environment secretary on widening of Gangotri March for Chardham Yatra.

The green tribunal's summon came yesterday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Kedarnath to attend the portal opening ceremony.

Kedarnath is one of the Char Dham that witnessed wide destruction during the June 2013 floods.

The green court took a strict stand on collection of garbage and will also put its stance on cutting of trees in large numbers.

The NGT asked the Uttarakhand secretary, "Will you keep debris on the road?"

Under the Char Dham National Highway Connectivity Improvement programme sanctioned by the Centre, the 268 km-long-road is to be widened up to 12 metres.

 

[Hindustani78]

 

[Hindustani78]

It is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai, making it the longest bridge in India. Twitter

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/611492/indias-longest-bridge-inaugurated-near.html

India's longest river bridge, capable of withstanding the weight of a 60-tonne battle tank, will be inaugurated in Assam close to the border with China on May 26 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

With the inauguration of the 9.15-km-long Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Brahmaputra river, the prime minister will kick start the celebrations of the NDA government's three years in office from this eastern-most part of Assam.

The bridge is seen as an attempt by India to shore up its defence requirements along the Sino-Indian border particularly in the Northeast besides providing easy access to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with air and rail connectivity.

It is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai, making it the longest bridge in India.

"The prime minister will dedicate the strategically important bridge to the nation on May 26. It will bolster the road connectivity in the Northeast as the bridge will be used by people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh besides defence forces extensively," Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal told PTI.

The construction of the bridge began in 2011 at a project cost of Rs 950 crore. The design is such that the bridge can withstand the movement of military tanks.

"Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have huge strategic value to the country. Since the bridge is located close to our border with China, it will help quick movement of military troops and artillery in times of conflict," Sonowal said.

The bridge is located 540-km away from Assam capital Dispur and 300 km away from Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar. The aerial distance to the Chinese border is less than 100 km.

After Kaliabhomora bridge near Tezpur, there is no bridge over the Brahmaputra for the next 375 km upstream till Dhola, where the new bridge is constructed. Currently, all the transport between the two banks of the river are being carried out through water only.

The bridge, when opened for the public, will cut down the travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by as much as four hours.

As there is no civilian airport in Arunachal Pradesh, this bridge will help people of the state to reach the nearest rail head in Tinsukia and the airport in Dibrugarh easily.

Sonowal said the delayed works of the bridge was expedited after Modi assumed the charge in 2014. The bridge was originally scheduled to open in 2015.

The BJP government in Assam will complete one year in office on May 24.

The bridge is one of the key projects of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the Northeast and is built in public-private partnership with a construction company.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...a-tributary/story-rgbh1DwG0dfJjUavVXmhmJ.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate India’s longest span, the 9.15 km Dhola-Sadiya bridge across river Lohit at the easternmost tip of Assam, on May 26.

The bridge is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. The opening of the bridge is among the highlights of Modi’s programme during his visit to Assam to attend the first anniversary of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government.

Lohit is one of three rivers – the others are Dibang and Siang – that meet to form the Brahmaputra downstream of the site of the bridge that connects Dhola village and Sadiya town, 540 km east of Assam’s principal city Guwahati.

Sadiya is the birthplace of balladeer Bhupen Hazarika.

The bridge, designed to facilitate the movement of battle tanks, is expected to help movement of troops to the border with China in the Wallong-Kibithu sector in southern Arunachal Pradesh. The sector had fallen along with Tawang in the northwest to the Chinese in the 1962 war.

The project, worth ₹950 crore, was started in 2011. It will reduce the travel time for people on either bank of river Lohit by at least eight hours.

But Dhola-Sadiya is not the only bridge in the Northeast that will go into the record books.

Longest rail-road bridge

Also expected to be inaugurated by 2018 is Bogibeel, the fourth and easternmost bridge across the Brahmaputra. This bridge near Dibrugarh town, 4.94 km in length, will be India’s longest road-rail bridge.

Like Dhola-Sadiya, Bogibeel will also be of immense strategic importance as it will enable faster troop movements across the Brahmaputra besides providing a direct link between people on opposite banks who have to take a 500km detour via the existing Kalia Bhomora Bridge downstream.

Bogibeel connects Dibrugarh town on the southern bank of Brahmaputra and Silapathar on the northern bank.

The construction of the bridge, approved in 1996, was initiated by the first BJP-led NDA government in 2002. The Congress-led UPA government acknowledged the strategic importance of the bridge and declared it as a national project in 2007.

But the progress of the project, undertaken by the firm that build Bandra-Worli Sea Link, has been slow. The cost has thus spiralled from the initial Rs 1,767 crore in 2002 to Rs 6,000 crore now.

Longest tunnel, tallest rail bridge

Arguably Indian Railway’s toughest project, this line will boast of two Indian records once completed by 2020. These are the longest railway tunnel and the tallest railway bridge.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) started construction of this line – originally part of the ambitious Trans-Asian Railway – in 2008 after it was declared as a national project. Railway officials said work was progressing at speed despite challenges of weather, terrain and militants.

The project is in two sections – the 84km Jiribam-Tupul and the 27km Tupul-Imphal – spanning 111km. The track will pass through 45 tunnels, 25 of which were completed by April 2016.

The total length of the tunnels would be 60.2 km, which is more than half the total track length, and the longest one (Tunnel 12) would be 11.55 km long to displace the current record-holder Banihal in in Kashmir from the top spot by 100 metres.

“The two sections have 22 major and 142 minor bridges. These include what will be the world’s tallest rail bridge with a pier height of 141 metres – almost equal to two Qutab Minars stacked over each other,” NFR spokesperson Pranav Jyoti Sharma told HT.

Because of terrain and scanty population, the entire stretch of this project will have nine stations, Tupul on the outskirts of Manipur capital Imphal being the easternmost.

The Dhola-Sadiya bridge will reduce the travel time for people on either bank of river Lohit by at least eight hours. (Pronib Das/HT Photo)

The anticipated cost of the project is Rs 9,657 crore, which compares favourably with the similarly treacherous 210 km Lumding-Silchar hill section in Assam that was sanctioned in 1996-97 at an initial cost of Rs 648 crore but ended up costing Rs 6,000 crore upon completion in 2015.

The railway line is expected to give Manipur’s landlocked Imphal Valley – often troubled by highway blockades in the surrounding Naga hills – a cheaper route to the India beyond. Also, the movement of goods by train is expected to bring down prices from India, though Manipur sustains mainly through imports from Myanmar.

The railway line from Manipur is expected to be extended to Moreh on the border with Myanmar where border trade averages Rs 350 million annually.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
18-May, 2017 19:01 IST
Union Home Minister to be on a 3-day visit to Sikkim from tomorrow

Shri Rajnath Singh to chair the first meeting of CMs of 5 States on Indo-China Border

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will leave on a three-day visit to Sikkim tomorrow. During the visit, the Home Minister will chair a meeting of the Chief Ministers of five States on the Indo-China Border viz J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to review the Indo China Border Security issues, in Gangtok on May 20, 2017.

This is the first time such a meeting is being held by MHA. The objective of the meeting is to strengthen the coordination of MHA with the five States on Indo-China Border to improve the overall border security as states are also partners in Security of the borders. In this meeting, discussion will be held about the border infrastructure work under taken by MHA, Border Area Development Programme and coordination issues between the states and the ITBP etc.

Shri Rajnath Singh will also be visiting Nathula Pass and ITBP border post at Lachung to meet the Jawans of ITBP on Indo-China Border. On May 21, 2017 he will visit the SSB Bns. Hqrs (Geyzing & Yuksam), besides, flying over SSB border posts at Uttarey, Kumukh & Bajrajadhara on Indo-Nepal Border.

The Home Minister will also interact with jawans at a Sainik Sammelan at Geyzing. It will motivate jawans guarding our borders at very high altitudes & in inhospitable terrain. Shri Rajnath Singh will later attend a Civic Action Programme at Pelling in West District, Sikkim.

****

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs20-May, 2017 20:18 IST
Union Home Minister chairs the first meeting of CMs of 5 States on Indo-China Border in Gangtok

Central Assistance for BADP enhanced: Union Home Minister

Central Assistance for Border Area Development Programmes (BADP) has been enhanced from Rupees 990 Crore in 2016-17 to Rs. 1,100 Crore in the current financial year, the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh said this while chairing the review meeting of Chief Ministers bordering with China, in Gangtok today.

He said that the Indo-China border is undemarcated, extremely cold with very difficult terrain and thus it is more important that impetus should be given to boost up infrastructure and peace in the border areas. The Home Minister praised the work of ITBP and said that the Centre was doing everything feasible for their smooth functioning in overcoming challenges. He stressed upon the development of model villages in the border areas and said that innovative and concrete proposals are welcome. Implementation of Border Areas Development Programme (BADP) projects and construction of border infrastructures are being taken up with high priority, he added.

The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling said that the army, paramilitary and the Government of Sikkim are implement ing a number of schemes under the BADP which are designed to meet the special developmental needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible border areas. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu also briefed the Union Minister on the issues related to development. Issues concerning border infrastructure including border roads, Border Out Posts, critical infrastructure and coordination between the concerned States and ITBP stationed in states were some of the main issues deliberated upon in the meeting. The states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were represented by Senior Officers.

Earlier, Secretary, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Smt Sanjeevanee Kutty presented the broad agenda of the meeting and apprised about the various programmes and initiatives being taken for development of infrastructure and other facilities for the security personnel and the population living in border areas. Likewise, a brief presentation was made by the Director General, ITBP, Shri Krishna Chaudhary.

Chief Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Shri A.K. Shrivastava gave the vote of thanks where he thanked the Union Minister for sparing his valuable time and visiting the beautiful state. He also thanked the various dignitaries of different states for attending the meeting of this kind which had happened for the very first time.

Later, addressing a press conference, Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh expressed pleasure that such a review meeting concerning infrastructure and other issues in Indo-China Border states was held for the first time. He appreciated the participation and inputs provided by the Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and officials from the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. He put on record his appreciation for the contribution of Sikkim as the host state fort the meeting.

The Home Minister briefed the media about the various developmental projects being implemented by the MHA in the Border States. He also shared information regarding some of the projects and proposals in the pipeline. Shri Rajnath Singh stated that along with the border security forces, equal impetus should be given for the upliftment of civilian people living in these border areas. He stated that these people are the strategic assets of the country and their basic needs should be addressed. He added that the State Government of the Indo-China Border states have been requested to look into these issues.

Likewise, Shri Rajnath Singh informed that the MHA is focusing on modern villages, and stated that in the last financial year, 41 model villages were created for which a financial allocation of Rs. 92 Crore was made. He further urged the State Governments to submit maximum proposals for model villages to the Central Government. He further added that the issues concerning border areas are to be jointly addressed by the State and the Central Government in a coordinated way. He stated that any hindrances like land acquisitions, forest clearances and allocation of quarries should be sorted out diligently and in a time bound manner by the State Government with support from the Central Government.

Earlier, the Home Minister visited Nathula Pass and addressed a Sainik Sabha during his visit to the ITBP Border Out Post (BOP) Sherathang near Nathu La. Shri Rajnath Singh also laid the foundation stone of various ITBP projects in Gangtok.

Yesterday, upon his arrival on a 3-day visit to Sikkim, the Union Home Minister met the Governor Shri Shriniwas Patil and held talks with the Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling.

*****
The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh laying the foundation stone of ITBP projects, in Gangtok, Sikkim on May 20, 2017.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh addressing a Sainik Sabha during his visit to ITBP Border Out Post Sherathang near Nathu La, in Sikkim on May 20, 2017.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh with the ITBP personnel, during his visit to ITBP Border Out Post Sherathang near Nathu La, in Sikkim on May 20, 2017.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh chairing a review meeting on Indo-China Border Infrastructure and other issues, in Gangtok, Sikkim on May 20, 2017. The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling and the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat are also seen.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh addressing a press conference after review meeting on Indo-China Border Infrastructure and other issues, in Gangtok, Sikkim, in Gangtok, Sikkim on May 20, 2017. The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri Pawan Kumar Chamling and the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat are also seen.

Hundreds of pilgrims are feared stranded after a occurred near Vishnuprayag on the Badrinath route, Uttarakhand.

http://zeenews.india.com/india/be-vigilant-along-china-border-rajnath-singh-to-forces-2007282.html

Gangtok: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday asked border guarding force ITBP and governments of Himalayan states to remain "very vigilant" against Chinese transgression along the Sino-Indian border saying such incidents take place due to perceptional differences.

Addressing a first-ever meeting of chief ministers of five Himalayan states, Singh also asked Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh governments to undertake developmental activities along the 3,488-km long Sino-Indian border so that people living in these areas do not have to migrate.

"Due to perceptional differences, there have been transgression by the Chinese PLA in the past. Such incidents have come down now. Sometimes armies of both the countries come face to face which we call face-off. Such incidents are resolved through the existing mechanism," he said at the meeting.

he home minister said thinning of population and migration from the border areas is a cause of concern.

"We need to strengthen basic infrastructure in border areas so that people don't migrate to other places looking for better opportunities," he said.

Singh said the central government is focussing on consolidated development of model villages in border districts. Last year funds were released for 41 such villages.
"The states should send more number of proposals to the Centre for development of model villages in the border areas," he said.

The home minister said states should remove obstacles in border infrastructure development and problems pertaining to land acquisition and clearances need to be resolved.

The state governments should send senior officers every six months to border areas to review and implement the development works in the villages.

"I hope many innovative and imaginative proposals will be discussed here in the meeting to strengthen border infrastructure development," he said.

The home minister said in the first stage MHA is building 27 roads near the border which will be completed by 2019-20.

Approval is being given to 48 other roads.

The objective of the chief ministers meeting is to strengthen the coordination between the Union home ministry and the five states along the Sino-Indian border to improve the overall border security.

The home ministry has said the states were also partners in maintenance of security along the border.

India shares a 3,488 km-long border with China that runs along the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The total length of the border in Jammu and Kashmir is 1,597 km, Himachal Pradesh 200 km, Uttarakhand 345 km, Sikkim 220 km and Arunachal Pradesh 1,126 km.

The border is not fully demarcated and the process of clarifying and confirming the Line of Actual Control is in progress.

The border areas, which are located at high altitudes, have inadequate development and infrastructure facilities.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) guards this border and has established 173 Border Out Posts (BOPs).

Out of these BOPs, there are 35 BOPs in the western sector (Jammu and Kashmir), 71 BOPs in the middle sector (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and 67 BOPs in the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh).

 

[Hindustani78]

Travellers stranded after a landslip blocked their route near Vishnuprayag on Friday.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ay-after-chamoli-landslip/article18516165.ece

Rishikesh-Badrinath highway blocked
Of the around 2,000 pilgrims on the Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand, who were stranded after a landslip in Chamoli district, 800 have resumed their onward journey and work is on to clear the debris, officials said on Saturday.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway was closed near Vishnuprayag, one of the five important points of the Alaknanda river, between Joshimath and the hill shrine of Badrinath.

Huge boulders had rolled down the Hathi Pahar mountain on Friday afternoon, blocking the highway.

CM’s directive
Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has directed the Secretary of the Disaster Management Department, Amit Negi, to monitor the situation.

‘Arrangements in place’
“There were no unfortunate incidents, 1,800 tourists were affected and arrangements were made for them. The Border Roads Organisation and other authorities are working on clearing the debris and the route will be opened today; all the suitable arrangements are in place,” Mr. Rawat tweeted.

He said, “Information of landslides was shared with various towns along the route.”

Chamoli District Magistrate Ashish Joshi dismissed reports that around 15,000 people were stranded. “Only 2,000 people have been affected,” he said.