Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the Siyom Bridge In Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang district today along with 27 other infrastructure projects constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The 28 projects have been completed at a cost of ₹ 724.3 crore to facilitate the quick movement of Indian armed forces along sensitive border areas.
Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 100-metre-long steel arch Siyom Bridge over River Sayom. The bridge is strategically important as it gives the military advantage in deploying troops to the far-flung areas of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Some of the other projects include Basti Bridge on Bani-Basohli-Bhadarwah road in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a 55-metre-long bridge constructed over Haloon Nallah to establish connectivity between Doda and Kathua district.
The BRO built the 24-kilometer-long Bhaironghati-Nelong road in Uttarakhand, which is close to the Indo-Tibetan border and will “act as a lifeline for troops” deployed in the region.
The Thangu Bridge, an 80-foot-long permanent bridge, was built on the vital Kalep-Gaigong Road in north Sikkim to ensure commuters’ access in all weather conditions. The military will be able to deploy personnel and equipment more easily in front-line locations.
Mr Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh comes a month after Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the LAC in the Tawang sector.
In a statement in Parliament, the Defence Minister said that the Indian Army bravely stopped China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from encroaching on Indian territory, and forced them to retreat.
He said in Lok Sabha that “On December 9, 2022, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of Tawang sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner. The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts.” He added that no Indian troops were killed or seriously injured in the incident.
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