Manmohan Singh reviews infrastructure along China, Pakistan borders

Measures being taken to improve infrastructure along the border with China and Pakistan and the maritime boundary are understood to have been discussed at a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today.

The meeting of National Security Council was attended by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Defence Minister A K Antony and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, sources said.

Senior officials of Defence and Home ministries also attended the meeting which deliberated upon infrastructure along the border and its management, they said.

The meeting comes in the wake of India signing a pact with China for avoiding flare-ups between troops of the two sides with both of them coming closer to each other due to development of border infrastructure.

In recent years, the Defence Ministry has started paying attention towards upgrading infrastructure along the border with China to match the capabilities of the neighbouring country.

Antony had conceded in Parliament recently that China is "superior" in terms of border infrastructure as India was late in deciding on building roads and other capabilities near the LAC because of the impact of the 1962 war.

Preparing for meeting challenges on the two fronts, India is also planning to lay 14 strategic railway lines close to borders with these two countries to help in easier and faster movement of troops. The railway lines have been planned in Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

Seventy-three roads with a total length of 3812 km are also being laid along the China border.

After the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, several steps have also been taken by the Centre to upgrade the coastal security infrastructure.