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Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA) plan is reportedly being prepared for integrated infrastructure development considering that the people living along the LAC be considered as strategic assets
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The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army |
According to reports of May 2, 2022, the government is planning to set up a Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA) for planned and comprehensive development of infrastructure including roads, rail, water, power, and communications network. Quoting unnamed sources, the report says that one of the aims is to enhance the ongoing development of specific areas by increasing public-private partnership (PPP) and allocation of funds for completing works.
At the same time, the road head connectivity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains inadequate compared to China’s border infrastructure. This is more so in the case of Arunachal Pradesh. The plan is reportedly being prepared for integrated infrastructure development considering that the people living along the LAC be considered as strategic assets.
The government is planning to set up a Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA) for planned and comprehensive development of infrastructure including roads, rail, water, power, and communications network
Earlier the government had launched the flagship Vibrant Border Village (VVP) programme to upgrade the facilities in villages along the India-China, India-Pakistan, India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh borders. The top comment of a foreigner on this news report reads: “India never builds to improve peoples’ lives, only for eye on China and propaganda. China just builds without talking. India only talks but doesn’t build”.
The above comment is adverse but should be seen in backdrop of the article “Why is India in Denial as China Pushes into Arunachal?” by China expert Professor Srikanth Kondapalli published on November 23, 2021. Kondapalli wrote that despite interest differentials between the MEA spokesman's position and that of the Chief of Defence Staff comments on territorial dispute resolution and the LAC, respectively, there has been no response from the government on China establishing a “well-off society village” at Longju in Arunachal Pradesh.
By late 2020, China announced that over 600 'well-off society village' were already constructed, one-third of which are close to the LAC, with at least one Communist Party cadre, surveillance systems, telecommunications, border defence duties and other facilities for border domination
Kondapalli also wrote that by late 2020, China announced that over 600 “well-off society village” were “already constructed”, one-third of which are close to the LAC, with at least one Communist Party cadre, surveillance systems, telecommunications, border defence duties and other facilities for border domination. This was followed by China’s Land Border Law passed on October 23, 2021, adding fuel to the fire.
India is to implement the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) through State/UT administrations in habitations located within 0-10 km from the first habitation at international border in 460 border blocks of 117 border districts in 16 States and 2 UTs viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir (UT) and Ladakh (UT). This means plenty of funds to States/UTs but what about the speed of BADP and VVP execution compared to China?
The proposed Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA) will be functioning under the MHA and is apparently another exercise to expand the bureaucratic empire
The chaos in our border management needs to be viewed in backdrop of the following:
The proposed Border Infrastructure Management Authority (BIMA) will be functioning under the MHA. However, given the mismanagement by the MHA, some examples of which are given above, the BIMA is apparently another exercise to expand the bureaucratic empire with little improvement at the ground level.
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are the personal views of the author.