Question : IMPROVEMENT IN BORDER ROADS

(a) whether the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways held meeting on April 28, 2009 for improvement of Border Roads, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government of Gujarat forwarded a proposal for improvement of 965 kms. of Border Roads on May 30, 2009 to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Home Affairs as per decision taken in the meeting;

(c) if so, the present position of these proposals; and

(d) the time by which approval process towards improving the border roads for strengthening national security would be completed?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

(a) to (d) Yes, Madam. A meeting was held for improvement of roads in border areas on 28.04.2009. The matter relating to development of border roads, other than the National Highways, comes under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) for which Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs is the Nodal Department. Subsequent to the above meeting, a series of meetings were held by Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs with all bordering States and accordingly the concerned State Governments including Govt. of Gujarat submitted their proposals for the development of border roads to Ministry of Home Affairs (Deptt. of Border Management). The proposal for construction/upgradation of 255km long Gadhuli-Santhalpur road with an estimated project cost of Rs550crore was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security(CCS) in its meeting held on 18.11.2010. Out of 255km, upgradation work in 132km has been completed. Further,340km border road along the Indo-Pakistan border in Gujarat has been taken up for development. Out of 340km, work has been completed in 261.28km.