Jammu, August 29 (UNI): The defence mechanism will further be strengthened with the upcoming 11 roads of strategic importance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Moreover, the major hitch of land belonged to the Wildlife Department, Ladakh—from where these roads will pass—have also been cleared with allotment of land to the Indian Army for strategic connectivity.
Official sources in the Ladakh Administration on Sunday said the Wildlife Board of Ladakh in a meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur had already approved the construction of 11 new roads of strategic importance along the LAC on the land of Wildlife Department.
The clearance for the same was also recently given by the National Board for Wildlife under the Union Ministry headed by Bhupendra Yadav.
“The permission was awaited for construction of roads in the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary area in Leh, and finally, the Army has been permitted after clearance from the National Wildlife Board,” an official said.
The facility will give boost to strategic connectivity in the bordering Ladakh region as around 154.08 acres of land has been allocated for the purpose, they revealed.
“It will strengthen the infrastructure of the Indian Army along the Line of Actual Control with China in the Eastern Ladakh besides the Air Force in Demchok and Dungti areas,” said an army official.
He said that the Indian Army will surely get equipped and the defence mechanism will further be augmented to counter any ‘nefarious design’ from the Chinese army side.
The roads will also give push to the development in the Cold Desert, he expressed.
“Efforts were initiated to ensure supply of equipment needed by the army reaches the front in the shortest possible time and connectivity was a major issue and that prompted the development of these strategic roads,” he said.
After continuously raising the issue, the Wildlife Board has permitted the roads to be undertaken by the Border Roads Organization.
However, defence sources said that a “standalone project” to build a critical road along the border with China in Ladakh is already going on.
India and China have engaged in a face-off in various pockets in Eastern Ladakh since April last year after China stopped Indian patrols in the Finger area of Pangong Tso.
