Defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a slew of critical border infrastructure projects on Tuesday, including work on a strategic airbase in Eastern Ladakh that will be the closest such military installation to the border with China and a tunnel on the Tawang axis in Arunachal Pradesh that will ensure faster movement of troops.

Singh arrived in Jammu on Tuesday to inaugurate 90 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organization at a cost of ₹2,941 crore, which includes 21 roads, 64 bridges, one tunnel, two airstrips and two helipads.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the projects as important, “which will go a long way in enhancing infrastructure in the border areas”.

Besides the new airbase at Nyoma, which is being constructed at a cost of ₹200 cr to be able to handle fighter jets, the Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields in West Bengal are being reconstructed at a cost of over ₹500 crore.

Singh also said that BRO will soon start construction of Shinku La Tunnel, that will connect Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal to the Zaskar Valley in Ladakh and provide all weather connectivity.

“In the last 30 months, we have inaugurated 205 projects and today 90 more are being inaugurated. This means every three days a BRO project is inaugurated… BRO has played the role of brother of the armed forces,” said Singh.The minister said the country is committed to develop border infrastructure and uplift the socio-economic condition of the people living there as well. He said that starting an ambitious project and completing it in time is the new normal of the new India. “We have different governments in different states. We may have ideological and political differences but when it is about ‘Bharat Mata’ and national security, we forget all differences and are ready to face the enemy together,” said Singh.