Central assistance for BADP enhanced : Rajnath

New Delhi :  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on May 20, 2017, said at Gangtok that the central assistance for Border Area Development Programmes (BADP) had been enhanced from Rs 990 Crore in 2016-17 to Rs 1,100 Crore in the current financial year. He was  chairing the review meeting of Chief Ministers bordering with China at Gangtok on May 20.

Rajnath said that the Indo-China border is undemarcated, extremely cold with very difficult terrain and thus it is more important that impetus should be given to boost up infrastructure and peace in the border areas. The Home Minister praised the work of ITBP and said that the Centre was doing everything feasible for their smooth functioning in overcoming challenges, according to a PIB release. He stressed on the development of model villages in the border areas and said that innovative and concrete proposals are welcome. Implementation of Border Areas Development Programme (BADP) projects and construction of border infrastructures are being taken up on high priority, he added.

CM of Sikkim Pawan Kumar Chamling said that the army, paramilitary and the Government of Sikkim are implementing a number of schemes under the BADP which are designed to meet the special developmental needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible border areas.

The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu also briefed the Union Minister on the issues related to development. Issues concerning border infrastructure including border roads, Border Out Posts, critical infrastructure and coordination between the concerned States and ITBP stationed in states were some of the main issues deliberated on at the meeting. The states of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were represented by senior officers, according to PIB release.

Earlier, Secretary, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Sanjeevanee Kutty presented the broad agenda of the meeting and apprised about the various programmes and initiatives being taken for development of infrastructure and other facilities for the security personnel and the population living in border areas.