To improve the border infrastructure further, Rs 7,146.50 crore has been allocated to help the movement of Armed Forces personnel through tough terrains. This allocation is under the capital head which is 9.74% higher than the BE of 2024-25. The financial provision made for the FY 2025-26 for BRO will promote the nation’s strategic interest in border areas. It will construct tunnels, bridges, and roads like LGG-Damteng-Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh, Asha-Cheema-Anita in J&K, and Birdhwal-Puggal-Bajju in Rajasthan. It will also boost socio-economic development. Additionally, it will offer employment opportunities and encourage tourism. BRO has created significant employment opportunities. It has employed 70,000 local youths. BRO has contributed to the local economies. This fosters long-term employability and skill development.
This is the highest ever allocation from the government with most spending on Border boost and indigenous defence industry. In the Financial Year 24-25 the Ministry of Defence was allocated Rs 6,21,940.85 crore (approx. US $75 Billion), the highest among the Ministries. The budgetary allocation to Border Roads Organisations (BRO) under capital for Budget Estimates (BE) 2024-25 was Rs 6,500 crore. This was 30% higher than the allocation for FY 2023-24. It was 160% higher over the allocation of FY 21-22. This year, the BRO is expected to get an even higher percentage of budget allocation. The government focuses on accelerating the border infrastructure. This aims to match China, which continuously boosts its border construction along the LAC.
The Union Budget for the BRO will offer further support. It will push several new projects along the borders.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 75 new infrastructure projects by the Border Roads Organisations (BRO). The projects are worth Rs 2,236 crore. This happened in October 2024. These projects include 22 roads, 51 bridges, and two others. They span across 11 states and the Union Territories.
Of the recently inaugurated 75 new projects, 19 are in Jammu and Kashmir. Eleven are in Ladakh. Eighteen are in Arunachal Pradesh. Nine are in Uttarakhand. Six are in Sikkim. Five are in Himachal Pradesh. There are two each in West Bengal and Rajasthan. There is one each in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
In the past five years since the Galwan clash with China in 2020, border infrastructure development has shown significant improvement. This includes the LAC. The government focused on infrastructure development in its Union Budget for the financial year (FY) 2022-23. The capital outlay for the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) increased by a record 40 per cent. It reached Rs 3,500 crore, compared to Rs 2,500 crore in FY 2021-22. In 2021, BRO executed a record number of infrastructure projects. These projects were at very high altitudes. The operations occurred in extreme weather conditions amidst the raging pandemic. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dedicated 102 roads and bridges in 2021. These are in the North-Western and Eastern States of the country. This includes the world’s highest motorable road at Umling La, at 19,024 feet.
The allocation to MoD for FY 2024-25 was higher by approx. Rs one lakh crore (18.43%) over the allocation for FY 2022-23 and 4.79% more than allocation of FY 2023-24. Out of this, a share of 27.66% went to capital; 14.82% for revenue expenditure on sustenance and operational preparedness; 30.66% for Pay and Allowances; 22.70% for Defence Pensions, and 4.17% for civil organisations under MoD. The total allocation came out as approx. 12.90% of Budgetary Estimate of Union of India.
The allocation for FY 25-26 is aimed to promote ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence technology & manufacturing. It focuses on equipping the Armed Forces with modern weapons/platforms. This allocation also aims to create job opportunities for the youth.
The financial provision made during the budget this year will promote strategic infrastructure development in border areas. It will also boost socio-economic development in that region. Projects include the development of Nyoma Airfield in Ladakh at an altitude of 13,700 feet. Another project is the permanent bridge connectivity to the southernmost Panchayat of India in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Additionally, there is the 4.1 km strategically-important Shinku La tunnel in Himachal Pradesh. Nechiphu tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh and many other projects have been major projects taken up by the BRO with enhanced Defence allocations in past Budgets
