DGMO opposes road near China border, Arunachal seeks Rijiju help

Times of India

Bharti Jain| TNN | June 23, 2016

NEW DELHI: With the defence establishment reportedly objecting to alignment of the proposed India-China frontier highway in stretches “too close” to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Arunachal Pradesh government is upset that this may negatively impact its plan for seamless road connectivity in remote border areas of the state.

The state government has approached minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, who is also an MP from Arunachal, to sort out the issue with the defence ministry.

At a recent meeting of the empowered committee on border management, tasked by the cabinet secretary to finalise the proposal for India-China frontier highway which will connect Tawang and Vijoynagar at an estimated cost of Rs 30,000-40,000 crore, the director-general of military operations (DGMO) is said to have raised reservations to alignment of the highway along portions in close proximity to LAC, calling it “not operationally feasible”.

However, this stand did not go down well with Arunachal representatives, with local MLA from Mechuka Pasang Dorjee telling TOI that “blocking connectivity with border villages would deny its residents, who identify themselves with mainland India, the fruits of development they so deserve. “At a time when the infrastructure on the Chinese side of the LAC is so well-developed, people in settlements on our side are still struggling for basic amenities like roads, electricity, water and health facilities,” he lamented.

Local representatives have now requested Arunachal CM Kalikho Pul to write to PM Modi protesting against defence establishment’s “blocking of benefits of connectivity and development to the local Arunachal population”.

Rijiju said on Wednesday, “The state government has informed me about their displeasure arising out of concerns raised by the defence ministry. I’ll call a meeting of senior officers of the defence ministry and state government and try to sort out issues.”