Now Reading: India plans ₹2 lakh crore border roads, rail projects still on paper
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India plans ₹2 lakh crore border roads, rail projects still on paper
India plans to build more than 5,000 km of border highways over three to five years, with investment exceeding ₹2 lakh crore, Livemint reported citing two people aware of the matter. The…
The Story in Brief
India plans to build more than 5,000 km of border highways over three to five years, with investment exceeding ₹2 lakh crore, Livemint reported citing two people aware of the matter. The programme aims to speed military mobilisation and open remote areas to trade, covering stretches along the China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar borders. Separately, India Today’s OSINT team found 41 railway projects along the China and Pakistan arcs since 2021, but only two are complete and 28 remain on paper. A Bloomberg report added that India may invest about ₹45,000 crore in border railway upgrades.
The Indian Opinion
The government's twin push, highways and railways, sounds decisive, but the gap between announcement and execution is the real story. India Today’s OSINT shows 28 of 41 rail projects remain proposals; Livemint’s sources promise road construction across five borders. Claims of urgency after Doklam and Galwan ring hollow when two-thirds of rail lines haven’t left the drawing board. The test will be simple: how many kilometres of road are actually built in the next two years, and do rail projects finally break ground? Or will yet another strategic plan remain ink on paper?
Sources (2): indiatoday.in, livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
