Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 26 Jun: The Border Roads Organization (BRO) on Saturday tendered an apology to the people of Arunachal over renaming Kimin as ‘Bilgarh’ in Assam and covering Arunachal’s name with white paste during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent visit to Kimin to inaugurate roads.
The BRO said that what it had done was an inadvertent and unintended mistake.
Addressing a press briefing, Additional Director General of Border Roads (ADGBR-East) PK Singh said, “With folded hands I seek apology from the people of Arunachal Pradesh. Whatever mistake we made was purely unintended and inadvertent. We have no intention to hurt the sentiment of the state.”
“The unfortunate incident was nothing more than an inadvertent mistake which happened under the pressure of organizing the event while racing against time. The BRO in no way had even an iota of malafide intention of hurting the sentiments of the people of Arunachal Pradesh. It should be taken as an unconditional apology, due to the emotive connect that the BRO has with the people of the state,” Singh said.
The ADGBR disclosed that “the event was initially planned from Huri in Kurung Kumey district, but had to be shifted to the plains due to prevailing monsoon conditions.”
“The e-inauguration site was chosen due to administrative reasons to facilitate smooth organization of the event. The chosen site also had a helipad and a covered shed
to cater for any eventuality due to rains, as had been forecasted,” he stated.
The ADGBR (East) went on to inform that, during his visit on 15 June, he had unintentionally recommended that two signboards – one at the helipad and one at the main entrance of the ITBP campus – be made neutral to avoid any controversy arising on the day of the inauguration.
“DGP, Arunachal Pradesh, on being reported about the boards, approached the ADG (East) and apprised him of the sensitivity and sentiments of the local populace, did not agree to the proposal, and asked not to change any existing signages” he added.
He claimed that, acting on the advice, “the status quo was ensured immediately on the same day on 15 June,” two days prior to the inauguration.
“We did not intend to hurt the sentiments of our beloved brothers and sisters of Arunachal Pradesh in any way. Any action, whatsoever happened, was completely unintended,” the ADGBR (East) stated.
Taking sole responsibility for the incident, the BRO ADG clarified that there was no direction from the Centre and the state to rename Kimin as ‘Bilgarh’ in Assam, adding that “Google map on particular site is quite confusing.”
“One-sixth of the total allotted budget of the BRO is testimony of our love, commitment and our resolve to undertake the infrastructural development in the state at an unprecedented pace,” he said.
“Approximately 300 karamyogis of the BRO have given their lives in the last 10 years itself for infrastructure development of the strategic border state,” the BRO second-in-command added.
“The BRO, with this statement, again expresses its resolve and commitment to the development of the state, and believes that we along with the people of the state will move ahead hand in hand on the path of progress and prosperity,” the ADGBR (East) said.
