India speeds up road building on China border amidst Doklam standoff

India has decided to speed up construction of border roads in the eastern sector leading up to the Indian-Sino border. This is a significant development amidst the Doklam standoff and India aims are reducing the delay and removing bottlenecks.

In a statement on Sunday, the MoD said, 'In line with the aim to bring in transformational changes in the BRO, various powers of delegation have been revised. According to the earlier delegation of powers, a Chief Engineer in the BRO could give administrative approval of works only upto Rs 10 crore, that too only for departmental works, whereas the ADGBR had powers to accord administrative approval only upto Rs 20 crore for



departmental works. For contractual works, all administrative approvals were given by DGBR, who had powers only upto Rs 50 crore. Enhancing the powers at all levels in the BRO, the ministry has now approved that for both departmental and contractual mode of execution, a chief engineer can accord administrative approval upto Rs 50 crore, ADGBR upto Rs 75 crore and DGBR upto Rs 100 crore.'

The MoD added, 'There also is a need to replace obsolete construction equipment in the BRO with modern equipment. As per the earlier delegation of powers, DGBR had powers upto Rs 7.5 crore for procurement of indigenous equipment and Rs 3 crore for procurement of imported equipment.'