Amid tensions between the two countries along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Central government informed the Lok Sabha on Monday that it spent Rs 15,477 crore in the last five years to construct 2,088.57 km of roads in areas bordering China. The renewed focus on developing infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China comes at a time when New Delhi is engaged with Beijing in a standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said the government constructed 2,088.57 kms of road along the border with China by incurring an expenditure of Rs 15,477.06 crore.

In total, the government spent Rs 20,767 crores in constructing 3,595 kms of border roads during the period that included those in areas along the frontiers with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to the details provided in Lok Sabha.

The minister informed that Rs 4,242.38 crore was spent to construct 1,336.09 km of road along the border with Pakistan, while Rs 882.52 crore was incurred to build 151.15 km of road along the frontier with Myanmar in the same period.

Along the border with Bangladesh, 19.25 km of road was constructed at a cost of Rs 165.45 crore.

In April, the Centre said it had allocated six times more funds for the development of infrastructure along the border in Arunachal Pradesh -- from Rs 42.87 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 249.12 in 2021-22.

India shares a 3,488 km-long Line of Actual Control with China from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,126-km-long border with China.

While India has been focused on improving connectivity to areas near the India-China border, the ongoing standoff along the LAC in the Ladakh sector saw the country accelerate infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges and tunnels.
The BRO plans to complete all 61 strategic roads assigned to it along the China border by December 2022 to allow swifter mobilisation of troops and stores to forward areas, even as China is scaling up infrastructure along its side of LAC, officials said.

The Indian Army and China's PLA are engaged in a standoff in Ladakh since April 2020 following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas.

After several rounds of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control. The 16th round of military talks on July 17 between the two sides to resolve the remaining issues failed to provide any significant outcome.

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