New Delhi: In a move that is being seen as a strong message to China, India on Friday made it clear that it is taking ‘all steps to create matching infrastructure’ near its side of the border to realise its military potential keeping in view the ‘strategic reality’ of its neighbourhood. The Army has also ‘prioritised’ the construction of 22 roads in this regard.
In the wake of face-offs near the Line of Actual Control between Indian and Chinese troops, India is resisting Chinese pressure and is developing its border infrastructure to match the advanced infrastructure on the Chinese side. China has been protesting against Indian attempts to increase border infrastructure.
“Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said that based on the strategic reality of our neighbourhood, the government is taking all steps to create matching infrastructure on our side to realise our military potential.
Addressing the first meeting of the (Parliamentary) Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry here, after the new government came to power, Mr. Jaitley said our immediate neighbours have already enhanced infrastructure in proximity to the borders,” the Ministry of Defence said.
For decades since the 1962 border conflict with China, India had not built up border infrastructure on its side of the border near China, fearing that it could be used by the enemy in case of a conflict.
But in the past several years, India has been building up its infrastructure, after seeing the rapid build-up of Chinese border infrastructure.
