New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday cleared the addition of 9,400 personnel to guard posts along the Chinese border, approved a 4.1-km-long tunnel that will guarantee all-weather access to Ladakh, and announced incentives to encourage people to stay back in remote border villages, unveiling a major push to bolster security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the projects, said Union information & broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur.
“Now, on the shortest route to Ladakh, which is the Nimu Padam-Darcha route, the government has approved construction of a 4.1km tunnel. This will make Ladakh accessible for the whole country throughout the year. It will be completed by December 2025,” Thakur said.
The minister also announced that seven new battalions, comprising at least 9,400 personnel, will be added to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which will also be given a new sector headquarters in Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a lengthy border with China.
“It will cost around ₹1,808 crore to construct buildings, acquire land, arms and ammunition, which will be non-recurring expenditure. Another ₹963 crore will be recurring expenditure for salaries and ration, among other things,” Thakur added.
A government official, on the condition of anonymity, said that the new battalions will all be posted in Arunachal Pradesh.
Thakur also announced that the Cabinet approved the centrally sponsored Vibrant Villages Programme from 2022-23 to 2025-26 with an outlay of ₹4,800 crore. It will lead to infrastructure development and livelihood opportunities in four states and one Union Territory along the northern borders, he told reporters.
“The programme will help encourage people to stay in their native locations in border areas and reverse the out-migration from these villages, thus adding to improved security of the border,” the Union ministry of home affairs said in a statement.
The decisions come amid heightened tensions with China along LAC since clashes at Galwan in 2020 killed 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese personnel. The move will help the government maintain a more careful watch on its eastern border with China, which claims some regions in Arunachal Pradesh, and gain quicker access to strategic areas in Ladakh and Kargil during the snowy winter months.
The addition of more battalions for ITBP also marks a first in at least 10 years.
A second official aware of the matter, who asked not to be named, said that in 2011-2012, ITBP had got 13 battalions. The seven battalions will be inducted in phases and the process will be completed by 2025-26, said the official .
“ITBP will now have 63 battalions. This will also make the paramilitary force the fourth largest in numbers. Until now, it was the fifth largest paramilitary force,” the official added.
ITBP currently has 176 border outposts in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh. The process of setting up 47 additional outposts and 12 staging camps is already in motion since 2020.
ITBP guards nearly 3,488 frontier along the India-China border across Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, and currently has 88,000 personnel. “The new sector in Arunachal Pradesh will be headed by a DIG rank officer. The 9,400 personnel would be posted at the existing border outposts and the 47 ones that are being set up,” the official added.
Of particular strategic importance to India in the region is the Shinkun La tunnel, to be constructed at an altitude of 16580 feet to allow the continuous supply of troops and equipment throughout the year, even when the other two routes to the region are inaccessible due to snow. The road is also sheltered from both Pakistani and Chinese long-range artillery or missile firing and was used by the army to send arms and ammunition to East Ladakh in 2020.
Currently there are two highway routes to Ladakh — Srinagar-Kargil-Leh and Manali-Upshi-Leh. The tunnel on the Nimu-Padam -Darcha road will be complete by December 2025 along with the approach roads. A government spokesperson said that the total expenditure will be ₹1,681.512 crore. “The Nimu Padam Darcha is the shortest route and has only one pass, which is the Shinkun La. A tunnel on the Shinkun La will ensure the shortest all-weather connectivity for Ladakh and faster deployment of military supplies too. Therefore Shinkun La tunnel and all approach roads on both sides have been approved,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that not only will Ladakh be connected with the other parts of the country throughout the year, but the construction will also ensure development of the region, ensure supply chain in winter months and movement of military supplies.
The government has focused on ensuring that human settlements on the frontiers are not abandoned due to a lack of economic, health care and education opportunities because local residents provide critical intelligence.
“The scheme will aid to identify and develop economic drivers based on local, natural, human, and other resources of the villages on the northern border and the development of growth centres on Hub and Spoke Model through the promotion of social entrepreneurship, empowerment of youth and women through skill development and entrepreneurship,” the MHA statement added.
In the briefing, Thakur also announced that the cabinet had approved a slew of steps aimed at strengthening the rural sector, including setting up Primary Agricultural Credit Societies or PACS, and dairy and fishery cooperatives with an outlay of ₹20 lakh crore.
“The government will set up PACS and viable dairy and fishery cooperatives in each uncovered panchayat and village in coastal areas and in those having large water bodies. Initially, India will target to establish 2 lakh multipurpose cooperatives and PACS in the next five years. The plan will be implemented with the convergence of other schemes by leveraging the whole of government approach,” Thakur said.
The Cabinet cleared the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) between India and Chile for cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors.
Retired IPS officer Prakash Singh, who was also the director general of the Border Security Force, said the moves showed the government’s intent to strengthen the border. “China is an unpredictable neighbour. ITBP is among our first line of defence. Because of the recent incidents of Chinese activities, it is natural for the government to strengthen the border. It is essential to increase the manpower for our forces at the border,” he added.
