Leh, Dec 7: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday dedicated 125 strategically vital Border Roads Organisation (BRO) projects to the nation from Leh, hailing them as a striking testament to the government’s dedication to fortifying India’s border infrastructure at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore.
Spanning Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir Union Territories, and seven states—Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Mizoram—these projects include 28 roads, 93 bridges, and four additional structures. This inauguration represents BRO’s largest single-day event and highest-value dedication in its history, with Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta welcoming Singh for the ceremony.
Singh described border roads as the “lifelines of national security,” noting that upgraded connectivity directly bolsters operational readiness through enhanced road networks, real-time communication, and satellite surveillance, enabling soldiers to act with greater speed and precision in forward areas. He commended BRO’s timely completions ahead of schedule and adoption of cutting-edge technologies in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The minister highlighted the 920-metre Shyok Tunnel on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi Road in Ladakh as an engineering feat, ensuring all-weather access to one of the world’s harshest military terrains and improving mobility, logistics, and deployment during extreme winters with heavy snow and avalanches.
These initiatives not only strengthen security but also stabilise local economies, improve disaster response—as demonstrated in J&K’s Chasoți cloudburst rescues—and build trust in governance among border communities. Singh emphasised the united front of armed forces, BRO personnel, and locals as a national security bulwark, praising their relentless work in all conditions as key to India’s progress. The projects will boost armed forces mobility, logistics, tourism, jobs, and economic activity while reinforcing faith in development, government, systems, and democracy.
