Army Stops Construction of Road Along Ladakh LAC after China Protests.
The Army recently directed civil authorities to stop laying a road in
Chumar area of Ladakh along the line-of-actual control (LAC) after the
Chinese army objected to the project. Following this, Leh district
authorities wrote to the home ministry, seeking clarification on the
matter.
"We were constructing a road under the Border Area Development Programme
(BADP) of the home ministry, but senior army officials told us to stop
because the Chinese objected to it," a senior civic official said on the
condition of anonymity.
"The BADP, which aims to ensure development along border areas, mandates
construction of roads. However, the Army is objecting to it. It's a bit
of contradiction, and we have written to the home ministry for
clarification," he added.
As China does not view the LAC in Ladakh sector as “clearly demarcated”,
it usually objects to construction activity along the same. In 2014,
India had protested against the construction of a Chinese road link in
the same area because it was reportedly being done in Indian territory.
"It's a 2.5-km road inside our territory; it does not even go in the
direction of the border. We have taken up the matter with senior army
officials and written to the defence minister," Ladakh Autonomous Hill
Development (LAHDC) chief executive councillor Sonam Dawa told HT.
The Army had asked the contractor to stop laying the road about four
days ago, after which the matter was reported to the LAHDC. District
administration authorities said that though local army officers welcomed
the laying of roads in the border areas, this decision was taken by
higher-ups.
The armies of the two countries had faced off at Chumar in 2014, when
People’s Liberation Army troops pitched tents in Indian territory and
New Delhi rushed in military reinforcements to counter them.
Ladakh shares a 225-km Line of Control and a 955-km LAC with China.
Sources said that the neighbouring country’s objections to development
work along the border is likely to figure in talks during defence
minister Manohar Parrikar's three-day visit to China in April.
Lt General DS Hooda, the General Officer Commanding-In-Chief of northern
command, had recently said that China was way ahead of India in terms
of infrastructural development along the LAC. He also said there was a
massive push to upgrade roads in Ladakh.
Reference : http://www.indiandefensenews.in
0 comments:
Post a Comment