SENIOR BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Uttarakhand Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari came down heavily on the UPA government for continuously ignoring development in border areas of the country. He said the negligence would prove costly to the entire nation. He was commenting on President’s address in the Parliament on March 8.
“Being the Supreme Commander of the Indian forces, the President must have paid attention to the borders from Arunachal Pradesh to Jammu & Kashmir and the hardships faced by the soldiers for taking necessary material to the border posts. But his speech delivered in the Parliament does not find even mention of it,” Shri Koshyari said.
He pointed out that the people sitting in government today are not aware of the hardships faced by the people living near border posts or the government seems to be deliberately ignoring this vital point. Fact is that one requires to walk for 5 to 10 days for reaching certain border areas. “Why can’t we make roads there? The speed with which we are developing road network in the country indicates that we will not be able to make roads up to the border areas in near future,” he said.
Drawing the government’s attention to the huge infrastructure being developed by China in the border areas, Shri Koshyari said China has laid railway lines up to our border and has made roads and air strips up to every pass. On the other hand we are not able to even repair the airport which was built by us in 1962 at Chasul. It is because of the pressure from China. He said if the country continued to ignore the vital infrastructure development in border areas due to any pressure from any of the neighbouring country, no side of our border will be safe. He said ignoring the border security today will prove highly costly for the future generations.
Shri Koshyari pointed out that the Petition Committee of Rajya Sabha, after consultation with the chiefs of staff and the Planning Commission, had recommended building of five essential railway lines for security of the country in border areas. The building of these lines was also approved by the Planning Commission. But now the Ministry of Railways is ignoring these projects. It is sheer compromise over the security of the nation. During the regime of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee the railway projects from Udhampur to Kajigunda and Srinagar to Baramulla were declared national projects and the entire expenses of those projects was to be borne by the central government. He said if the infrastructure is not built in border areas, it will be very difficult to ensure security of the borders.
Shri Koshyari also raised the issue of ‘one rank one pension’ issued for ex servicemen, which was also approved by the Rajya Sabha petition committee. The President also praised it, but the scheme has not yet been implemented. All our soldiers should get their due benefits at the earliest.
Shri Koshyari praised the President’s visit to Bangladesh but raised questions over the negligence to Nepal. He stressed that India should help in ensuring a good government in Nepal so that the nation makes all round progress. Since Nepal is our cultural friend we must help it, he said.
(FOC)
