ITBP to get high powered vehicle for troops mobility along India-China border

As the tension escalated in the Galwan valley of the Eastern Ladakh after killing of the 20 Indian soldiers, the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) plans to procure high powered vehicles for the mobility of troops in the strategic region.

New Delhi: Being aware of the sensitivity of the India-China border, the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) plans to procure high powered vehicles for the mobility of troops in the strategic region.

The development took place after a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs in its recommendation has observed that the movement of the ITBP personnel from one place to another is of high strategic importance at the time of emergency.

“The mobility must be hassle-free and swift. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the proposals for the procurement of special vehicles must be considered without any delay and the acquisition must be done in a time-bound manner,” the committee headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma said in its March report.

The ITBP, however, said that it has incorporated High Powered SUVs, Amphibious vehicles and “plans are on to procure further high powered vehicles.”

Significantly, the Home Ministry has also approved 18 High Powered vehicles under Modernisation Plan-III.

The Committee also recommends that all the recent initiatives taken in the field of IT infrastructure and software applications must be taken to the logical conclusion to enable digitization of the processes and optimal utilization of technology for the benefit of ITBP personnel.

The 3,488 km-long India-China border is guarded by the ITBP and the Army jointly.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry in a review meeting held on Monday over the ongoing road projects along the India-China border has decided to expedite work on 32 critical road projects.

Apart from the roads, priority will also be given to projects related to the development of other border infrastructures like power, health, telecom and education.

A total of 4,764 km of roads were constructed in 2014-20 in comparison to 3,610 km in 2008-14 along the India-China border areas indicating that there has been a surge in works related to roads along with the Sino-Indian border in recent years.

The formation-cutting works were completed for 470 km roads along the border in 2017-20, in comparison to just 230 km in 2008-17.

Surface-clearing has been done for 380 km of roads in 2017-20, in comparison to just 170 km in 2008-17, they added.

Official statistics said that six road tunnels were constructed in 2014-20 in comparison to just one in 2008-14.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Border Development Secretary Sanjeeva Kumar which was attended by officials from Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) among others.