Road building along frontiers with China delayed: Par panel

Emphasising that "strategic infrastructure projects need special dispensation with regard to forest and wildlife clearances", Parliament's Standing Committee on Defence has asked the government to take up the matter with states for completing these projects in stipulated time-frames.

"The Committee has consistently been raising the issue of delay in forest and wildlife clearances... Particularly in context of undergoing infrastructure construction activities of neighbouring countries including China, the delay in forest and wildlife clearances has been an impediment," the Committee said in its report.

The report was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

Taking note of the efforts made by Defence Ministry to fast-track these clearances, the Committee said that there were 12 forest/wildlife cases pending for want of clearance from the Environment and Forest Ministry for construction of roads along the Chinese border and 160 other projects.

For constructing tunnels in bordering areas for improved connectivity, the report made a mention of the preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) by the Ministry for six such projects and said, "The feasibility study is under progress."

"Army has endorsed construction of 11 more tunnels in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Jammu and Kashmir which would be taken up subsequently. One tunnel is under construction at Rohtang Pass on Manali-Sarchu-Leh road and its completion date is February 2015," said the report. (More) PTI AD SC