Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called for bolstering the border infrastructure and reiterated that national security is the topmost priority of the government.
He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Sisseri River Bridge at Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
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The 200-metre long bridge connecting Jonai-Pasighat-Ranaghat-Roing road will provide connectivity between Dibang Valley and Siang to meet the long-pending demand of the people of Arunachal Pradesh as it would cut down the travel time from Pasighat to Roing by about five hours.
“The Government has adopted the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in its plan keeping in view security of the people residing in the border areas,” Singh said.
“Infrastructural up-gradation is necessary for the security of the Northeast and the entire country,” he added.
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“The government has initiated numerous infrastructure projects in the state,” he added listing out various projects.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to stay out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), keeping in mind the economic interests of the country, especially the Northeast,” he added.
“You must have seen that during the ASEAN summit in Bangkok recently, the PM took an important decision that India will not be a part of RCEP,” Singh reiterated.
“Farmers, labourers, factories and industries would have got affected had India joined the RCEP. This is a big decision,” he added.
Singh further added that the government’s focus on the Act East Policy would open new doors of rapid infrastructural development in the region, especially in Arunachal Pradesh.
Singh expressed confidence that just as the Sisseri River bridge would help the development of Lower Dibang Valley and East Siang, the strong infrastructure in the state would also act as a bridge between India and the South-East Asian countries.
The Sisseri Bridge would connect Tinsukia via Dhola-Sadia bridge and it was constructed by Project Brahmank of Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
This bridge is also strategically important from the military viewpoint and will be a part of Trans Arunachal Highway.
“The Sisseri Bridge will play an important role in the overall development as it will open more avenues in the fields of employment, trade & tourism,” Singh added.