Road-making work in Sikkim slows

Amid the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam near Sikkim, only 6.7 km of road construction has taken place near the border areas in the state this year.

A military standoff continues between Indian and Chinese forces since mid-June as the Indian Army resisted China's efforts to build a road in the strategically important Doklam area in Bhutan referred to as Donglong by the Chinese. The area is disputed between China and Bhutan and is close to the strategic Chumbi Valley in Chinese control at a tri-junction bordering India, China and Bhutan.

In the last two years, 654 km of roads were constructed in states sharing a border with China. While Jammu and Kashmir that also shares a border with Pakistan recorded the maximum construction of 283 km, Sikkim the point of the ongoing standoff has had only 49 km of roads built since 2015.

In Arunachal Pradesh, 200 km of roads was built since 2015-16, 40 km was constructed in Himachal Pradesh and 82 km in Uttarakhand.

Minister of State for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre, in a written reply, informed the Rajya Sabha that out of 519 roads, 61 roads of length measuring 3,417 km have been identified as strategic Indo-China Border Roads (ICBR).

Devpt woes

While Jammu and Kashmir that also shares a border with Pakistan recorded the maximum construction of 283 km, Sikkim the point of the ongoing standoff has had only 49 km of roads built since 2015.