‘New guide to improve planning, quality of infrastructure in J&K, Ladakh’
New Delhi, Dec 23: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday released a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) manual aimed at streamlining the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for road infrastructure projects, a move expected to significantly benefit strategic road construction in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and other states.
The guide, titled “Guide on Preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for Road Infrastructure Projects”, was released at South Block here.
Officials told the news agency – Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the manual would help improve planning, quality and timely execution of roads and bridges in difficult border terrains, including those in J&K and Ladakh.
The BRO is responsible for building and maintaining highways and strategic roads in some of the country’s most remote regions, many of them located along the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the guide provides a uniform and comprehensive reference for engineers, covering specifications, standards, procedures and best practices for DPR preparation.
It is designed to support projects involving new road construction as well as the upgradation of existing infrastructure. “The guide aims to address issues of time and cost overruns caused by inadequately prepared DPRs. It is expected to enhance the quality and consistency of reports, ensuring timely execution of projects and improving strategic connectivity in border areas,” the ministry said.
Officials said better DPRs would translate into faster completion of roads and bridges, improved logistics movement for the armed forces and enhanced socio-economic development in border regions such as Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Road Transport and Highways Secretary V Umashankar, Director General Border Roads Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan and other senior officials were present at the event.
Earlier this month, Singh had dedicated 125 BRO infrastructure projects to the nation, many of them located in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. These projects included roads and bridges critical for all-weather connectivity to forward areas.
The 125 projects, completed at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore, were spread across Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and several other border states. They included 28 roads, 93 bridges and four other infrastructure works.
The Defence Minister said that robust border infrastructure is essential not only for national security but also for economic growth, tourism, disaster management and strengthening public confidence in governance, particularly in remote regions like J&K and Ladakh. (KNO)
