“Till now, we have worked with the mantra of ‘minimum investment, maximum value’. Now, we need to move forward with the mantra of ‘minimum environment degradation, maximum national security, maximum welfare’,” he said.

Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, Member of Parliament, Jammu Jugal Kishore Sharma, Director General, Border Roads Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha were among those present on the occasion.

BRO statement mentioned that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu joined the event virtually.

An important infrastructure project inaugurated by Rajnath was the 500-metre long Nechiphu Tunnel on Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh. This tunnel, along with the under-construction Sela Tunnel, will provide all-weather connectivity to the strategic Tawang Region. It will be beneficial to the Armed Forces deployed in the region and the tourists visiting Tawang. Rajnath had laid the foundation stone of the tunnel in October 2020.

The revamped Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields in West Bengal were also dedicated to the nation. These airfields, reconstructed at a cost of over Rs 500 crore, will not only bolster the preparedness of the Indian Air Force (IAF), but also facilitate commercial flight operations in the region.

In addition, the Defence Minister virtually laid the foundation stone of Nyoma Airfield in Eastern Ladakh. This airfield, to be developed at a cost of approx. Rs 200 crore, will boost the air infrastructure in Ladakh and augment IAF’s capability along the Northern border. Rajnath exuded confidence that this airfield, which would be one of the world’s highest, would prove to be a game-changer for the Armed Forces.

DG BRO stated that with today’s inauguration of 90 projects worth Rs 2,900 crore, a record 295 infrastructure projects of the BRO, at an overall cost of approx. Rs 8,000 crore, had been dedicated to the nation since 2021. In 2022, 103 projects worth approximately Rs 2,900 Cr were inaugurated; while in 2021, 102 projects at a cost of over Rs 2,200 crore were dedicated to the nation.

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