Why in news?
The Defence Minister dedicated 125 new infrastructure projects built by the Border Roads Organisation on 7 December 2025. Valued at around ₹5,000 crore, the projects include twenty‑eight roads, ninety‑three bridges and a 920‑metre tunnel on the Darbuk–Shyok–Daulat Beg Oldie road in Ladakh. This inauguration marks the highest number and value of BRO projects commissioned in a single day and reflects the government’s push to strengthen border connectivity.
Background
The Border Roads Organisation was created on 7 May 1960 to build and maintain road infrastructure in India’s border regions. It operates under the Border Roads Development Board, which is chaired by the Prime Minister and has the Defence Minister as deputy chair. In 2015 BRO was placed entirely under the Ministry of Defence. Its workforce comprises officers from the Army’s Corps of Engineers and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force, supplemented by local labour.
Role and achievements
- BRO constructs and maintains roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields and marine works across some of the world’s most challenging terrains. Its operations span nineteen states and three Union Territories in India and extend to friendly neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan.
- The organisation provides logistical support to the Indian Armed Forces during conflicts and natural disasters. It rehabilitates forward airfields and develops strategic routes like the Darbuk–Shyok–DBO road, which ensures all‑weather access to the far‑flung area of Daulat Beg Oldie near the China border.
- BRO has adopted modern engineering technologies, including indigenous modular bridges under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat programme, to accelerate construction. It employs over two lakh local workers, creating livelihoods in remote areas.
- The motto of BRO is “Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam” (Everything is achievable through hard work). The Director General of Border Roads, a Lieutenant General, heads the organisation.
During the inauguration, the minister also unveiled a war memorial at Galwan in Arunachal Pradesh and highlighted BRO’s role in recent rescue operations in Uttarakhand, North Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir. The organisation’s capital expenditure reached ₹16,690 crore in 2024–25 and is targeted at ₹18,700 crore for 2025–26, reflecting its growing strategic importance in defence and development.
Source: DD News
