Manali:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the newly inaugurated Atal Tunnel beneath the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district would help give a fresh boost to India's border infrastructure.
"It is an example of world-class border connectivity. There have been demands to improve border infrastructure but for a long time, such projects either could not get out of planning stage or got stuck midway," Modi said in his address to officials after dedicating the highway tunnel, one of the world's most challenging marvel of engineering motorways in the Himalayas.
He said that despite the longstanding demand to improve the infrastructure and overall development of the border areas, plans were made only to languish for decades without any progress.
The tunnel would be a lifeline for Ladakh and boost border security.
Read:|PM Modi inaugurates strategic Atal Tunnel at Rohtang
Earlier, Modi inaugurated the 9.02km tunnel from its south portal near here. It will ensure all-weather connectivity from Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh.
The Prime Minister said that such border connectivity projects would also aid the security forces in ensuring regular supplies to them and also in their patrolling.
Modi said that the tunnel will act as a saviour for the residents of Lahaul-Spiti, especially during winters when the entire district gets covered by snow and road connectivity through the Rohtang Pass gets snapped.
Modi said, "Infrastructure should be developed at a fast pace when the country needs to progress economically and socially. And this needs unflinching political will and commitment for the progress of the nation."
He pointed out that delay in the completion of such important and major infrastructure projects causes financial losses and deprives people of economic and social benefits.