New Delhi: It is the time when India needs to leverage BRO capabilities to develop road infrastructure in friendly foreign countries to nurture India’s strategic interests. This was stated by Lt Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary VSM (Retd), former Director General of the Border Roads Organisation in a recently held webinar by the Think Tank, Security And Policy Initiatives (SAPI).
The webinar focused on a crucial topic: ‘BRO: An Instrument of Nation Building and Military Diplomacy’.
In his keynote address, Lt Gen. Chaudhary shared his vision for BRO’s future, including the establishment of BRO Videsh and the concept of BRO as an instrument of the Fusion Doctrine. He said, India should establish a BRO Videsh wing to increase its presence in neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Maldives, and Nepal, which will also enhance regional connectivity in ASEAN countries, including Africa.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Pradeep Gupta, Founder of SAPI, emphasized the importance of infrastructure on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and its strategic role. He further added that the focus of Webinar is to highlight how this critical infrastructure will serve as a multiplying factor in military engagements, deterring adversarial actions, besides proposing significant recommendations for stakeholders.
Lt Gen Chaudhary said that on recent years BRO has undergone significant transformation, achieving substantial successes in the execution of infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields, and dwelling units. During his tenure from December 2020 to October 2023, the government increased BRO’s budget by 160%, resulting in the completion of 295 projects. Notably, BRO completed three tunnels and commenced work on six more, an unprecedented achievement.
Additionally, eight more tunnels are in the planning stages, six of which will surpass the height of Mount Blanc in Europe at 15,771 ft. Several airfields on the northern borders are also nearing completion, with Nyoma being a prominent project, which will be a gamechanger, he said.
The webinar included discussions on the progress of strategic road projects, such as the DS DBO Road and its alternate alignment, which will enable our forces to operate even if one alignment is attacked. It also highlighted the challenges faced in formation cutting and road construction, showcasing the dedication of BRO’s personnel who work tirelessly on steep and unstable Himalayan slopes, often in treacherous conditions. Key strategic roads like the Nimu Padam Darcha (NPD) Road, Hapoli Sarli Huri Road, and Gunji Kuti Joilingkong Road, which provides access to the revered Mount Kailash, were also discussed.
Former DGBR made valuable recommendations, such as granting DG BRO HoD status, providing more autonomy, and initiating programs like Border Infrastructure Management Agency ( BIMA) etc. He praised the Vibrant Villages Program of the Government which take development to the last mile and help in retaining villagers on heights.
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