Border road infra gets ₹8,606 cr booster

Strengthening the border road and allied infrastructure, the Centre has recently cleared ₹8,606 crore for building 60 projects being implemented under the umbrella scheme of Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) to match special development requirements. All the projects are being implemented across 17 states having the international borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, home ministry sources said, revealing that the projects are implemented in 111 border districts with focus on people living within 50 km of the international border and also keeping in mind the strategic security requirements. The schemes include construction of roads, schools, primary health centres, promotion of rural tourism, border tourism, pushing sports activities, cleanliness mission, protection of heritage sites and supply of drinking water, community centres, connectivity and drainage to enable sustainable living in border areas. Construction of helipads in remote and inaccessible hilly areas which do not have road connectivity, skill development training to farmers for the use of modern and scientific technique in farming, organic farming are some of the other areas where the projects are being implemented.