Distrustful of China blocking global funding for Arunachal Pradesh, Khandu wants road and rail projects along the border to be sped up.
Given Beijing’s claim On this, Arunachal Pradesh has been cautious in the face of increased activities by the People’s Liberation Army through the Royal Line of Control (LAC) since the Ladakh clash in May. With reports that China has started working on railways Up to the border of his state, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has been pushing for better connectivity to the Himalayan heights, specifically the Border Highway along the border to facilitate faster movement of troops during a war situation and give the locals more accessibility by default.
In an interview for The Hindu, Khandu said the project has gained momentum after all the armed forces, the Border Roads Organization and other interested agencies were on the same page for a coordinated approach to building the road along the 1,100 km Royal Line of Control. .
Insisting on calling it the Tibetan border despite India’s official position to “acknowledge China’s annexation of Tibet,” Khandu lamented the state’s inability to obtain “cheaper” foreign financing due to “interference” from Beijing. .
Large swaths of LAC in Arunachal Pradesh are inaccessible, while China is reportedly working on rail and military infrastructure all the way to the border. How does your government see this?
If one follows the history of the conflicts since 1962 and the unfounded claims about Arunachal Pradesh, it is imperative to protect our homeland. In fact, many stretches of the border are inaccessible. That is why we are pushing the Border Highway along the 1,100 km of LAC to facilitate faster movement of troops. Projects for the border areas used to be confused due to multiple agencies. We have changed this through a coordinated approach so that everyone from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Border Roads Organization, and state agencies plan things together for speedy and quality execution. A detailed project report (DPR) is being prepared after meetings with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defense.
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Isn’t it a literally uphill task in view of the fragile ecology of the eastern Himalayas?
This is where coordination is crucial. We want the best alignment closest to the Tibetan border with minimal impact on the slopes. There will be many tunnels for the Border Highway that will touch existing roads and tracks in some areas. Tunnels are already being built to shorten the road to Tawang from Assam. The railway to Tawang which is being inspected also provides for tunnels.
You keep referring to LAC as the border between India and Tibet despite the official position …
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. Photo: Special arrangement
Arunachal Pradesh has always shared its border with Tibet, not with China. This is a historical fact that no one can erase. The world knows that China has annexed Tibet.
Looking for foreign investment for highway projects?
The terrain and natural factors such as landslides make our projects more expensive. Foreign financing agencies offer loans at cheaper interest rates which benefit many Indian states, but China has been continuously blocking us such financing due to their baseless claim (on Arunachal Pradesh). China’s interference has denied us loans from the Asian Development Bank and others.
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However, the Center has been providing assistance to projects such as the ongoing 1,600 km Trans-Arunachal Highway project, which has had cost overruns due to land offset issues. But we have taken action against officials and agencies for embezzlement, in addition to warning people if they need roads and other infrastructure, they must give up claiming compensation that represents a large percentage of the cost of the project. The planned East-West Industrial Corridor along the foothills bordering Assam has no such claims.
What purpose would the Industrial Corridor serve?
Ours is a state full of resources, but communication is the biggest bottleneck. We are emphasizing digital connectivity to the most remote places. But roads are of utmost importance, particularly in border areas from where people have been migrating due to accessibility. Tourism, our strength, also needs good roads. We were told that a special table will be created for Arunachal for investment in Invest India. We are targeting investments in non-polluting and agricultural and horticultural industries. We have prepared the DPR for the Industrial Corridor that would be ideal for such industries as well as allowing our people to move from one corner of the state to another without having to travel through Assam.
Read also | China renames six areas in Arunachal Pradesh
What about the hydroelectric projects that environmentalists criticize?
Tribal societies coexist with nature. The Central Electricity Authority says that Arunachal has the potential to produce 50,000 MW of hydroelectric power, which is necessary for our industrial dream. But at the same time we know that it is important to conserve the nature that sustains us. We have terminated many projects for which agreements were signed years ago because they were not well or were not progressing. We are pursuing the doable ones.
The 100 MW Pare project was inaugurated in 2019 and two units of the 600 MW Kameng project were started during closure. We now have a surplus of power, but we don’t have the grid to properly distribute power throughout the state. Things are changing with the installation of new substations and transmission lines.
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