PM Modi blames Congress-led UPA for delay in border infrastructure creation

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi blamed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for not focusing on the development of border infrastructure and compromising with the security of the country and the economic progress of people.

Speaking at the inauguration of Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, Modi, without naming the Congress, said it was the responsibility of the previous government to explain why it had allowed the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh to remain closed for 40-50 years.

"Connectivity has a direct connection with the development and economic progress of the people. We also know that connectivity in border areas is directly related to security-related issues of the country. The union government is giving utmost emphasis on the development of border infrastructure and its benefits are being extended to the common people as well as our armed forces personnel," PM Modi said during the inauguration of the Atal Tunnel.

The timing of the opening of the tunnel is important because it connects Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh where India and China are at loggerheads because of the ongoing border tussle. Without naming China, Modi said that building and strengthening border infrastructure was a priority for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

Modi said that the country had seen a phase in which strengthening of border infrastructure was deliberately delayed and the security of the country was compromised. PM said there



were several projects related to security infrastructure which got delayed during the tenure of the previous government.

"Security of the country is of prime importance for the Union government and the creation of border infrastructure is one of the top priorities of the government. There was nothing more important for us than protecting the country. But the country has also seen a period when the defence interests of the country were compromised," Modi said.

Without going into the details, PM asked why the previous government lacked the political will to open the airstrip at the Daulat Beg Oldi. "Many other important projects were treated in the same way as Atal Tunnel. The strategically important Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh remained closed for 40–45 years. I do not want to go into details as to what was the helplessness and the pressure behind it," questioned Modi.

Modi also said that the previous governments had deliberately delayed the construction of Atal Tunnel and if the work had continued at the same pace then the project would have been completed in 2040.

"Experts say if the tunnel was constructed with the pace it was being built earlier, it would probably be completed in 2040. We completed the work in just 6 years that would have taken 26 years. Atal ji laid the foundation stone of the approach road of this tunnel in 2002. Till 2013-2014, progress was made only on 1,300 meters of this tunnel. After 2014, the project progressed with unprecedented pace," PM said.