Panel in place to build top class infrastructure along LAC

The Central government has announced the formation of a high-powered panel aimed at expediting infrastructure projects in areas near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where the Indian and Chinese armies have been in a standoff for nearly three years. The committee of secretaries was established during a meeting chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, according to a statement by the Defense Ministry. The projects being implemented in forward areas include various ministries such as defense, road transport and highways, environment, forest and climate change, railways and communications, and power and new and renewable energy. The secretaries of these ministries are members of the new committee and will oversee the progress of various projects. During the meeting, which was attended by several Cabinet ministers, chief ministers of border states, and top military officials, the defense minister emphasized the need to expedite pending projects on a priority basis while advocating for a whole-of-nation approach to strengthen national security. According to former director-general of military operations Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), India must take a multidimensional and multimodal approach to infrastructure development along the India-China border. This approach is critical not only for security but also for economic development, tourism, health, and education throughout the country's border region.