The subject of border roads with China in Ladakh and Eastern States has been under discussion in almost all sessions of the Parliament. In each debate on this matter the patent response of the Government is that it realizes the importance of building uninterrupted connectivity with the border along LAC in Ladakh and in Eastern States where China has laid a network of roads and railways close to the border with our country. However, the ground situation is that out of 73 roads that have been identified as strategic roads only 19 have been completed so far. A total length of 3412 kilometers was promised to be completed by 2018 but the target has been missed.
The identified roads are all strategically important from defence and security viewpoint. The Defence Minister, answering questions in the Parliament has given detailed description of the status of these roads as of today. The picture is not very encouraging. The way we should have reacted to the planning of road network by China all along the LAC in Ladakh and Eastern States is not there. The Defence Minister has tried to take shelter behind natural calamities as the main reason for delay in bringing the task of road building to completion. It is true that there are natural calamities like floods, inclement weather, earthquake, shortage of man power and difficulties in transportation of construction material etc. But the fact is the main reason for delay is the time consuming process of acquisition of land required for the widening of the road or fresh breaking of the ground. Land acquisition has become a big problem hindering the development of the country and implementation of big constructional projects.
We have the Land Acquisition Act in the country. According to this Act although the Government is empowered to acquire the land for developmental programmes but the owners of the land have to be paid compensation. The difficulty arises on two counts: one is the proper and legal ownership of the acquired land and the second is the quantum of compensation. In most disputed cases of land acquisition, there is more than one claimant for the identified land and the dispute stands referred to a court of law. The court takes its own time to adjudge the issue and deliver judgment. Hence there is inordinate delay in finalizing the ownership. As regards the quantum of compensation, there cannot be a fixed norm and there are many factors that govern the cost of the land at different places.
Another important step that will expedite acquisition of land is that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has given the general approval under Section 2 of Forest (Conservation) Act for diversion of forest land required for construction/widening of roads entrusted to BRO in the area falling within 100 kilometers aerial distance from the LAC and for link roads between border roads in the area within 100 kilometer aerial distance from the LAC and National Highways/ State Highways/ Other roads subject to certain conditions.
This being the situation, the Defence Minister has tried to address the issue by asking the Chief Secretaries of all concerned States to constitute Empowered Committees that will look to the disputes about the compensation of the acquired land and find out a way to resolve it without further delay. Hopefully, this initiative might work and the frozen cases of land acquisition might be decided at the end of the day. This apart, the fact of the matter is that this Government has so far issued a number of statements that indicate its eagerness to improve the security status along LAC with China in Ladakh and the border in Eastern States. The Defence Ministry has announced completion of all remaining 42 strategic Indo-China border roads along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and North Eastern States by 2018. If this project is completed by the scheduled time, it will be an achievement. Apart from this, the Union Government is also considering rail connectivity to the borders at both places and there is already some movement at the level of the Ministry of Railways. If China has been able to bring rail to Lhasa in Tibet all along the mountainous region, it should also be possible for us to build rail network all along the border with China. We have to do it for the security reasons.
Reflecting on the status of border security along LAC with China, the Defence Minister said that there have not been incursions by the Chinese though transgressions do occur occasionally. In such situations, the mechanism comes in to play its role as both countries have agreed to resolve such minor happenings through the established system. It may be so, but the harsh reality with which we have to look at the border issues cannot be underplayed. China is an unpredictable country at least its behavior towards us has been unpredictable. This harkens us to the reality that we have to make foolproof arrangements of border security and not go by intermittent soft and hard attitude of the Chinese.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel