- 7th May 2024 marks the observance of the 65th Raising Day of BRO.
Significance:
i.The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a road construction executive force, partly integral to and in support of the Army.
ii.BRO functions under the control of the Ministry of Defence(MoD) (since 2015).
iii.The observance underscores the invaluable contributions of the BRO towards national security and socio-economic development, particularly in challenging terrains.
Background:
i.BRO was established on 7th May 1960 to secure India’s borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the north and northeast Indian states.
ii.On 14th March 1960, the Union Cabinet decided to constitute the BorderRoads Development Board (BRDB), under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
iii.The BRDB was constituted to coordinate and implement road projects for development and to meet the Defence needs.
- The BRDB was re-constituted in 1985 with the Defence Minister as the chairman.
Evolution:
i.BRO started operations in May 1960 with just 2 projects, Project Tusker (renamed Project Vartak) in the east and Project Beacon in the west.
ii.BRO has also developed the road infrastructure in Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, etc.
iii.BRO now operates 18 projects in 11 States and 3 Union Territories and is recognised as the foremost infra-construction agency in high-altitude, snow-bound areas.
iv.Bro executes projects in altitudes from 9,000 ft to 19,000 ft along the Northern and Western frontiers, to meet the Armed Forces’ strategic needs.
v.In over 6 decades, it has constructed 62,214 km of roads; 1,005 bridges; 7 tunnels; and 21 airfields in challenging terrains.
Note: The BRO has also constructed an extensive road network in Bhutan.
Milestones Achieved and Future Projects:
i.BRO completed 125 infrastructure projects worth Rs 3,611 crore in 2023-24, including the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh on Balipara-Chardwar-Tawang Road.
ii.Future projects include construction on a 4.10-km long Shinkun La Tunnel, set to become the world’s highest tunnel at 15,800 ft bypassing Mila Tunnel in China at 15,590 ft.
2024 Events:
BRO organised an event to commemorated the 65th Raising Day on 7 May 2024 in New Delhi, Delhi. The event was presided over by Giridhar Aramane, Secretary of the MoD.
Event Highlights:
i.The Defence Secretary unveiled a compendium on Sela Tunnel and books like ‘Oonchin Sadaken’, ‘Path Pradarshak’, and ‘Path Vikas’.
ii.He also honoured the BRO personnel with Excellence Awards for 2023-24 achievements and felicitated the women achievers of BRO.
iii.He also felicitated the causal Paid Labourers who worked in various projects such as Sela Tunnel.
About Border Roads Organisation (BRO):
Director-General– Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Motto– Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (Everything is achievable through hard work)
