Indian Army sets 2020 deadline to finish road construction on China border

New Delhi: Taking a cue from China on military infrastructure, the Indian Army plans to expedite its road constructions along the Chinese border, with at least four routes to be taken up on a priority basis, it announced on Friday.

The road links to Niti, Lipulekh, Thangla 1 and Tsangchokla passes will be taken up on priority and 2020 is the deadline, the Indian Army said.

All these four locations fall under the ambit of the Army's Northern Command.

“Decided that there would be a concerted heft towards road construction in the central sector of the borders with China,” the ANI quoted it as saying.

To achieve this goal, the army will allocate additional funds to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), it said.

Meanwhile, the army also plans to modernise its military stations at par with the government's smart city plan. It will allocate additional 15 percent funds for five years to revamp its external services, the report said.

The announcement comes close on the heels of the Doklam crisis which saw the two militaries in a 73-day standoff over a road construction by the Chinese Army. Though the crisis has been defused diplomatically, tensions still remain.

This was one of the major military standoffs between the two countries in the recent history.

However, the political leadership of both the countries have expressed their willingness to leave behind the Doklam crisis and build a strong partnership.