Jammu Kashmir: Ladakh Event Marks BRO’s Biggest-Ever Infra Push as DM Dedicates 125 Strategic Projects | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: In a landmark show of India’s expanding border capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on December 07, 2025, dedicated 125 strategically crucial Border Roads Organisation projects to the nation from Ladakh, marking the largest-ever simultaneous inauguration in the BRO’s history.

Completed at a cost of approximately Rs 5,000 crore, the projects span two Union Territories — Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir — and seven states — Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram. They include 28 roads, 93 bridges and four other works, forming the highest-value infrastructure package ever rolled out by the BRO.

Speaking at the event held on the Darbuk–Shyok–Daulat Beg Oldie Road near the Shyok Tunnel, Singh said the new assets would decisively strengthen last-mile connectivity to remote habitations and forward military positions, bringing sensitive border regions closer to the national mainstream. The 920-metre cut-and-cover Shyok Tunnel, one of the headline projects inaugurated, will ensure all-weather access to the high-altitude DBO sector, a region often crippled by heavy snowfall, avalanches and extreme winter temperatures. He described the tunnel as an engineering breakthrough that enhances mobility, security and rapid deployment capacity.

The defence minister also remotely inaugurated the Galwan War Memorial in Ladakh, calling it a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Indian soldiers. He underlined that robust roads, tunnels, smart fencing and surveillance systems are now central to India’s security doctrine, adding that connectivity is the backbone of military mobility as well as regional economic growth. He praised the BRO for completing complex projects with speed, innovation and indigenous solutions and said the government has consistently increased its support to the organisation, reflected in a record Rs 16,690 crore expenditure in 2024–25 and a target of Rs 18,700 crore for 2025–26.

Singh said the successful execution of Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam terror attack was strengthened by seamless logistics and border connectivity, noting that the operation became a “historic success” because supplies and movement of troops remained uninterrupted in difficult terrain. He applauded the coordination between the armed forces, civil administration and the people of border regions, calling it a defining feature of India’s national character.

He linked robust border infrastructure with India’s economic resilience, referring to the country’s GDP growth touching 8.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025–26 despite global uncertainties and recent conflicts. He credited pro-growth policies, domestic reforms and citizen effort for keeping India’s economy on a steady upward path.

The minister recognised the BRO’s humanitarian work this year, including the rescue of 46 workers after the Mana avalanche in Uttarakhand, the evacuation of over 1,600 stranded tourists in North Sikkim, and the swift evacuation of nearly 5,000 pilgrims after the cloudburst in Chasoti, Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted the BRO’s adoption of indigenously developed Class-70 modular bridges — designed and manufactured entirely in India — as a milestone in engineering self-reliance.

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta, who spoke at the event, called the nationwide inauguration a historic moment for the Union Territory, noting that 41 of the 125 projects are located in Ladakh. He said these assets, including the Shyok Tunnel, the world’s highest multi-span Saser Brangsa Bridge, the Nimoo–Padum–Darcha Road and the upgraded Mudh–Nyoma Airfield, would transform connectivity, boost tourism routes to Pangong, Chushul and Tso Moriri, and strengthen national security. Gupta urged people across India to visit Ladakh to experience its landscape, culture and border heritage, now more accessible than ever.

BRO Director General Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan thanked the government for its support and said the agency has become the preferred executor for challenging highway, security and strategic projects undertaken by key central ministries. He credited BRO personnel for their professionalism, resilience and commitment in some of the world’s toughest terrain.

The ceremony was attended by senior civil and military leaders, including the governors of Rajasthan and Mizoram; the lieutenant governors of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir; Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah; Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma; and senior officials from the Army, Ministry of Defence and BRO.

Over the last two years, 356 BRO projects have been dedicated to the nation, signalling an unprecedented acceleration in border infrastructure. The government has increased the BRO budget from Rs 6,500 crore to Rs 7,146 crore in the Union Budget 2025–26, acknowledging its central role in both national security and regional development.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also dedicated 22 strategically important Border Roads Organisation infrastructure projects for the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, virtually inaugurating them from Ladakh, while Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha joined the ceremony from Jammu and conveyed gratitude to the Defence Minister and to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritising border infrastructure and socio-economic upliftment; he said the new projects executed in some of the most challenging terrains under BEACON and SAMPARK will strengthen national security by ensuring all-weather access to remote areas, boost military mobility and readiness, and significantly contribute to local development.