‘Beijing will have to learn to accept India’s roads, rails near LAC’: Report

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India has fast-tracked the building of strategic projects near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) despite China’s objection to New Delhi’s plans, the Washington-based The Diplomat magazine reported citing an official from Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD).

As per the report, the building of border infrastructure on the Indian side was marred with problems like bureaucratic red tape, difficult terrain, and land acquisition. But this has changed in recent years with “strategic projects being fast-tracked”, the MoD official was quoted as saying in The Diplomat report written by Sudha Ramachandran.

The MoD official stated that India has refused to be “intimidated by Chinese objections to its plans” with regard to border infrastructure building.

“Beijing will have to learn to accept India’s roads and rails near the LAC,” the MoD official added.

Last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated to the nation 28 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), worth Rs 724 crore, during an event in Arunachal Pradesh. Eight of these projects are in Ladakh, five in Arunachal Pradesh and four in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Defence Minister, in his address, described the projects as a testament to the concerted efforts of the government and the BRO towards the development of border areas in order to enhance the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.

This development comes nearly a month after Indian troops thwarted the PLA’s attempt to transgress LAC in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector and unilaterally change the status quo.

In a statement delivered to the Parliament last month, Defence Minister said the face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely and resolutely prevented the PLA from transgressing into its territory and compelled them to return to their posts.

The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides. In his statement, Singh informed both Houses that there were no fatalities or serious casualties on either side.

“Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers went back to their locations. As a follow-up of the incident, the local Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart on December 11 to discuss the issue in accordance with established mechanisms,” the Defence Ministry said in its annual report.

After the incident, Singh said that the Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions after the issue was also taken up with them through diplomatic channels. (ANI)