New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given the approval to deploy three battalions of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) along the Arunachal Pradesh sector of the Indo-China border. The government has also decided to set up more border outposts (BOPs) of ITBP in this sensitive border zone.
Sources in the government establishment told ETV Bharat that the Centre had given clearance for the ITBP to raise seven additional battalions in February. Three of the seven newly sanctioned battalions are now ready for deployment, sources said. Setting up more ITBP posts and deployment of new battalions would support the Indian security agencies to keep a close tab on the movement of the Chinese army, a senior official said.
Hailing the development, Brigadier (Retd) BK Khanna said that deployment of more battalions and setting up BOPs would definitely increase security along the border areas.
“There are several areas along the India-China border where there is no human population. Deployment of more battalions and setting up of BOPs would definitely bring inhabitants in those areas,” said Khanna, who had earlier served in the northeastern States. It’s a fact that due to a lack of basic facilities and infrastructure, people living along the border areas leave their places for other urban locations.
Of the total 3,488 km border between India and China, Arunachal Pradesh shares 1,126 km of its border with the neighbouring country. States including Jammu & Kashmir (1,597 km), Himachal Pradesh (200 km), Uttarakhand (345 km) and Sikkim (220 km) also share their border with China.
Also read: MHA and Kuki rebel organisations to talk on separate political identities for Kukis in Manipur
Government data said that the India-China border is not fully demarcated and the process of clarifying and confirming the line of actual control is in progress. The area is characterized by high-altitude terrain and thick habitation which have resulted in inadequate development of infrastructure in these regions.
ITBP, which guards India’s border with China, has so far established 67 border outposts (BOPs) along the Line of Actual Control in the eastern sector (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh). Similarly, 35 BOPs have been set up along the western sector (Jammu & Kashmir) and 71 BOPs have been set up along the middle sector (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand).
Giving a major push to the infrastructure and connectivity along the border areas, the Border Road Organization (BRO) has recently completed eight roads in Arunachal Pradesh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at a cost of Rs 678 crore. The BRO said that a total of 90 projects will also be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday.
Singh will also inaugurate the strategically important Nechiphu tunnel on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, which will facilitate swift movement of troops as well as the citizens along the border areas. The tunnel, earlier, during heavy foggy conditions caused hindrance to general traffic and military convoys.
The BRO further said that an architectural masterpiece, the strategically located tunnel will facilitate the swift movement of troops as well as the citizens. “Cutting short distances by about 5 km, the tunnel will provide ease of travel & connectivity in the stretch that has dense fog,” it said.
