Centre sanctions new roads, infrastructure along China’s border

A bridge under construction in Arunachal Pradesh along the border with China.

Amid continuing face-offs with the Chinese Army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh since late July, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has sanctioned the construction of new border infrastructure in the northeastern State, a senior government official told The Hindu.

Earlier, in February, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had cleared the third phase of the Indo-China Border Roads (ICBR-III) project. Under the scheme, as many as 26 roads are to be constructed along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, another government official said. The Union Government has not yet officially announced the ICBR-III project or publicly disclosed these details.

This is only the second time after the 2020 Galwan clashes in eastern Ladakh that a critical road infrastructure project has been sanctioned along the border with China.

The first phase of the ICBR was initiated in 2005 when it was decided that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would construct 27 priority roads with a total length of 608 km along the border with China.

The second phase of the ICBR, comprising 32 roads with a total length of 683 km, was approved on September 21, 2020, just months after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in eastern Ladakh.

Since September, the ITBP has authorised the construction of 15 pedestrian suspension bridges and 18 log bridges in Upper Subansiri and Kurung Kumey districts, covering the areas bordering China in Arunachal Pradesh.

The project clearance came days after India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit from September 11 to 13 in New Delhi, which was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. A government statement after the meeting said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations. He underlined the need for both sides to observe existing agreements and understandings on border-related issues.

In December 2020, the MHA had approved construction of 18 pedestrian tracks, including foot suspension bridges, log bridges, and staging camps, measuring a total length of 598.27 km in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

On October 22 this year, former ITBP Director-General Shatrujeet Kapur mentioned that the “face-off” with Chinese troops “continues at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh.”

Addressing the Himveer Samman Samaroah at the Central Training College at Alwar in Rajasthan, Mr. Kapur said: “In the past few days, a situation arose where face-offs happened at several locations in Arunachal and it still continues. Our Shaurya commandos played an exemplary role in this.”

The 1-hour 13-minute long video recording of Mr. Kapur’s speech — in which he also stressed the need to invest and develop drone and counter-drone technology, noting that it may not be possible to face China through traditional methods as they have invested a lot in the modernisation of their weapons and infrastructure — has since been taken down from the ITBP’s official YouTube page.

The tension in Arunachal Pradesh has persisted even though India and China have held three high-level border talks since July. On August 6, the 36th WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs) meeting was held. This was followed by the 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives on the boundary question on August 26 in Beijing, where India was represented by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. On September 6, the first-ever Corps Commander-level meetings between the two armies were held in the Eastern Sector at the Vacha-Damai border personnel meeting point in Arunachal Pradesh Such meetings have so far largely been held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point in eastern Ladakh, particularly after the Galwan Valley clashes of June 2020.

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The Army and the ITBP are deployed along the China border and long-range patrols are regularly sent to the forward areas. Due to the weather conditions, such patrols are only sent between June and October in Arunachal Pradesh.

China / India / India-China / defence / diplomacy