Army to connect four mountain passes in Uttarakhand by road till 2020

The Indian Army will connect four mountain passes in Uttarakhand by road by 2020, a senior Army officer said on Friday.

The top Army brass discussed the infrastructure along the India-China border at an ongoing Army Commanders Conference here and decided there would be a concerted heft towards road construction activities, Director General Staff Duties Lt General Vijay Singh said.

"To that end, four passes — Niti, Lipu lekh, Thang La 1, and Tsangchokla — will be connected by 2020 on priority," Vijay Singh said.

It has also been decided to allow additional funds to the Border Roads Organisation for development of roads and infrastructure, he said.

He said organisational changes of some of the Army formations were also examined for capability enhancement.

The Army Commanders' Conference organised here from October 9 to 15 comes after a 75-day standoff between India and China in the Doklam Sector in Sikkim, which ended on August 28.

The standoff and the situation along Indian borders are key issues for discussion at the conference.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat, in his inaugural address at the conference, had stressed on priority to arms, ammunition, and equipment.