Siyom bridge

Itanagar, Jan 03: Defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Siyom bridge in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday. This was along with 27 other infrastructure projects completed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO).

Built at a cost of Rs 724 crore, these will hugely augment India’s border infrastructure, mostly along the Chinese border, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.

Speaking at the event, the Defence minister said that India’s forces at the border are ever vigilant and prepared to tackle any adverse development.

Addressing the event Defence minister Rajnath Singh said the following:

  • Our government under the leadership of PM Modi is working on developing better & smooth commuting facilities for the people in the country, especially in North-East areas. These roads are significant from the strategic point of view too: Defence Minister
  • Arunachal Pradesh: India has always been against war. India has neither started a war against any country nor captured an inch of land from any country but this should not be taken for granted: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
  • PM Modi’s government is working on developing better & smooth commuting facilities for the people in the country, especially in the North-East areas. These roads are significant from the strategic point of view too: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Siang
  • Today I am very happy to inaugurate three Telemedicine Nodes in Medical Inspection Rooms located at remote & difficult locations in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Mizoram: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
  • These nodes have been set up to provide prompt medical assistance in medical & surgical emergencies through telemedicine consultation, which will prove to be of great help to the healthcare needs of the local people: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
  • I used to confuse BRO (Border Roads Organisation) with ‘Bro’ means brother but after seeing the work they are doing, they are actually brothers of our Armed forces and people: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
  • In this era of changing priorities & interests of the nations, it’s necessary for any nation to keep itself empowered. India has always been against war. Our Armed forces are always ready to face any kind of situation & BRO is walking along with them: Defence Min
Also Read: Defence Minister to visit Arunachal Pradesh to inaugurate 27 other projects of the BRO

The Siyom bridge on the Along-Yinkiong Road- a 100-meter ‘Class-70’ steel arch superstructure- will facilitate faster induction of troops, heavy equipment like howitzers, and mechanized vehicles to forward areas of the Upper Siang district, Tuting, and Yinkiong regions along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) with China.

21 other bridges, three roads, and three additional infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh, J&K, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Punjab, and Rajasthan, were virtually inaugurated by Singh from the Siyom bridge site.

In recent years India has been able to shrink the differential with China in terms of border infrastructure along the 3,488-km LAC by building several roads, tunnels, bridges, troop habitats, permanent defences, helipads, and airfields.

The flare-up between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in June 2020 provided a further spur to infra projects on the anvil along the Chinese border.